Final Fantasy versus XV
by LegendaryApple
Summary: Emerging from the remains of his once shining kingdom, Prince Noctis and his three friends set out on a quest of vengeance that brings them face to face with the larger than life gods of Eos, and the coming of an apocalyptic darkness in this fantasy based on reality. Final Fantasy XV with the flavor of Versus XIII.
1. Prologue: Asleep in the Fantasy

Welcome to Final Fantasy versus XV!

If you are new to this fic, thanks for deciding to check this out. In this project, I endeavor to retell the story of Final Fantasy XV with the darker themes presented in those old versus XIII trailers.

If you are a returning reader, you might notice this is a new prologue to the story. It sets the stage for something important I want to happen much later in the story. Hopefully you enjoy this new start to the story! Thanks for reading.

* * *

Prologue

Asleep in the Fantasy

The sound of the creature feasting tore through the cacophony of the heavy rainfall. Lying in the mud, Noctis Lucis Caelum gritted his teeth as he tried his best to crawl from the overturned car. He could hear the great beast tearing into a helpless woman on the other side of the car, her screams cut short by the sound of crunching bone and splitting sinew. Noctis moaned, his legs numb. He couldn't feel anything as it slid helplessly across the wet mud.

The eight-year-old prince tensed as he saw the long tail of the beast twitching ahead of him, the beast so large that the rest of it was obscured behind the car, just out of sight of the boy crawling across the mud. He heard the great monster rising behind him and Noctis turned his head, looking at the creature from between the strands of black hair splatting against his forehead from the heavy rain.

The monster was serpentine, but its face was human and female. As it rose to look at the young boy, it raised its six arms, each holding a glistening sword. It let out a roar, its black hair flailing wildly as though alive.

Noctis gasped as the beast smashed the car aside using its large body and quickly closed in on the eight-year-old prince.

Noctis let out a yelp.

There was a flash of light.

In the brief time before he blacked out, Noctis swore he saw his father appear, surrounded by several floating swords.

When next he opened his eyes, he was in an unfamiliar place. It looked like a garden, but a pinkish mist hovered in the air, giving the appearance of a mystical terrain. Noctis was still on his stomach, but he could feel his legs again. With a light moan, the young boy rose to his feet and looked around. He stood on cobblestone, a few feet away from a water fountain. The fountain displayed a grey statue of a young woman, tears flowing in small rivers from the eyes of the statue to the watery basin at its feet as the statue stood, eyes cast upward and arms outstretched as though praying to something far above.

Encircling the fountain, Noctis saw several blue flowers the likes of which he had never seen before. When he leaned down closer to them, a sweet scent caressed his nostrils. He ran his finger across the petals of the flower, and they were smooth to the touch.

_Where am I?_ the young boy thought.

Encircling the cobblestone garden, Noctis saw many tall, verdant trees, the green leaves swaying with a gentle breeze. From the cobblestone garden, Noctis saw a path of stones leading off between the trees. He shrugged his shoulders and followed the path, listening to the rustling of the leaves and the gentle whistle of the winds. Were there any wildlife, he could not hear it.

He wasn't sure how long he walked for. The stone path winded and winded, leading him through the trees for several minutes. The garden had vanished a number of turns ago and he sensed he was simply at the mercy of the stone path.

On and on it went, until the trees finally parted, and Noctis walked into a field of winding hills, each covered with the swaying blue flowers he saw in the garden. As he stepped out, he heard a strange cry. A squeak coming from between a few swaying flowers. Noctis looked down and saw the flowers separating as a white creature pushed its way through. It was small, covered in course white fur. Two large ears twitched as it looked up at Noctis with wide brown eyes, a small horn protruding from above its eyes.

_Hello._

Noctis was confused for a moment as he heard the voice in his head. He wondered if it was his own thoughts, somehow growing independent of himself. Before long though, he pieced it together as he saw the small foxlike creature staring up at him, a sort of wisdom in its eyes he had never seen in an animal before.

_Yes, Noct. I'm talking to you._

"How?" Noctis asked.

_You… are asleep._ The creature replied. _This is your sanctuary. The World of Sleep. You are chosen by the Crystal, and so this place is your sanctuary, Noct. Come here, whenever you need to escape from your world. You are always welcome here._

"What are you?" Noctis asked.

_I… haven't quite figured that out yet. I think I am a Carbuncle. At least, that's how you perceive me._

"Perceive?" Noctis asked, scratching his head.

_It means it is… how you see me in this world. It's not what I really look like._

"Well what do you look like?"

_I don't remember._

"Oh. Well, how do I get out of here?" Noctis asked. "I think something important was happening before I got here, but I can't remember what."

_Just get to the end of the maze. I'll lead you there._

And so, Noctis followed the carbuncle. It led him across the hills of blue flowers, down into a strange tunnel at the end of the hills, and through the tunnel to a castle covered in flames. Noctis took in the strange spectacle, as though he had stepped into a nightmarish hellscape. He sensed something inside, a being of immense power waiting for him.

"Is that how I get out?" Noctis asked.

_Looks like it._

"I thought you said this was a safe place," Noctis said, worried. "Go to the flaming castle? That doesn't seem safe."

_Well, you've come here for a reason beyond just a place to escape, _the carbuncle tried to explain. It looked a little confused itself though. _I think you need to take control of this place first. There's a darkness trying to find its way into your head, Noct._

"A… darkness?" Noctis asked, scratching his head through his messy black hair. "That sounds scary though. I don't know if I want to go."

_How can you leave if you don't? It's the only way out. Once you do this, this place will be yours to return to whenever you want._

Noctis stood there for a while, staring at the burning castle. He wondered if he really could do this. As he stood there, an image flashed in his head. A boy lying in a large bed, drenched in sweat. A bolt of lightning flashing outside, visible from a nearby window. The light briefly illuminated the figure standing beside the bed, resting a hand on the boy in unending prayer for his return.

"I have to do it," Noctis said. "If I don't, that man will be sad forever."

The carbuncle nodded.

"What do I do when I'm in there?" Noctis asked.

_You face the fear inside and awaken your power. Easy enough, right? Just go in there. You can do it! Then… maybe I can be…_

The carbuncle trailed off. Noctis tilted his head and stared inquisitively at the little creature.

"You can what?" Noctis asked.

_I think that I might finally find out what I am,_ the carbuncle replied. It smiled up at the boy. _Maybe, you could help me out with that._

"Of course, I'll try to help," Noctis promised, raising a fist to his chin. "I guess it's time to find out how."

With his resolve strengthened, Noctis marched across the hellish courtyard to the castle gate. As he approached, the large stone gate swung partway open of its own accord. The boy looked back at the carbuncle. The creature raised a paw, as though saying, "Well, go on." Noctis peered through the opening to the dark hall inside. He gulped and stepped inside.

Within the dark hall, Noctis could see naught beyond the light that peered in through the cracked door. As he stepped into the darkness, he felt dread wash over him. Yet, regardless, he stepped forward, thinking of the carbuncle who had been guiding him through this strange dream. Thinking of the father and his sick boy, who Noctis knew he needed to wake up.

As he stepped further and further into the blinding darkness, he heard something breathing ahead. An orange glow erupted, expanding several feet in front of Noctis. As the flames emerged, it took shape, revealing a large man on fire. It sat upon a throne of bone and death, its gaze piercing into Noctis's eyes. Noctis took a step back, in fearful awe of the sight.

The fiery being stood, so tall its head nearly reached the ceiling thirty feet above. In its hand, it called forth a flaming sword and took a step toward Noctis. The boy wondered then what he could do. He turned to see if the carbuncle had followed, but he saw no trace of the little guy. Noctis took several more steps back as the giant demon made its way toward him.

As it closed in, more of the room illuminated. Noctis saw a set of stairs nearby, which ran along the walls of the room, leading up to a place he couldn't see. Noctis ran to the stairs and nearly stumbled over the steps as he ran and ran, ascending as quickly as he could. The orange glow expanded more and more as Noctis felt the being chase after him. The ceiling had disappeared, and the room transformed, turning to a long spiraling set of stairs and nothing else. Everything else in sight was simply darkness.

Still, the being closed in. It roared, speaking in an unfamiliar tongue.

_What do I do?_ Noctis shouted in his head.

He felt a rumble and was dismayed to see the steps ahead of him crumble. Soon, he too fell after, falling into the darkness. He saw the fiery being falling too, far below him. Yet, Noctis fell faster, drawing closer and closer. He let out a scream.

A blinding golden light pierced the darkness. The fiery being disappeared. The last thing Noctis saw was a pair of golden arms, opening and embracing him.

In time, the dream faded from memory and he forgot the promise he made to the carbuncle. It would be several years before Noctis returned to the World of Sleep, and by that time, everything would change.

_Fabula Nova Crystallis_


	2. Chapter One: The Star of Lucis

This is a fantasy based on reality

PART ONE

NOCTURNE

Chapter One

The Star of Lucis

In the dream, he saw her standing before him once more. They were eight years old again. All around them, a sea of blue sylleblossom flowers waved with the help of the gentle hand of the wind. Her back was turned to him, so he could only see her in her white dress, blonde hair reaching down to her upper back. He made to reach out to her, but every step he took seemed to push her further away, and when she made to turn, it was over.

**Morning, day before the signing**

"Prince Noctis," came the familiar rough voice of Cor. The captain of the Crownsguard was a tidy man. He kept his brown hair short, his beard even shorter, and his clothes neat and meticulous. His eyes were sharp. Attentive. The world had made them suspicious of every corner, and they darted across the road as he drove the deeply black car, the_ Star of Lucis_, up a winding overpass.

In the back seat sat Prince Noctis. His hair was black and messy, each strand layered upon the other as though in protest of the prim and properness one expected of royalty. His eyes were shut, and his head was slightly leaned against the window. With the mention of his name, his pale violet eyes fluttered open. He glanced up at the rear-view mirror, where they met Cor's light blue eyes.

"We will be arriving at the citadel in a few minutes," Cor said. "His majesty would prefer you were awake for such an occasion."

"I was just closing my eyes," Noctis replied with a light moan as he stretched his neck.

"The snoring might suggest otherwise, highness," Cor replied, amused.

"I… was snoring?"

"It happens to the best of us." Cor returned his gaze to the road. They entered a tunnel. He flashed on the headlights and picked up the pace.

Noctis stared absently at the concrete walls blurring by, the yellow lights lining the inside of the tunnel rapidly passing over his eyes. They were sore from being wakened so swiftly, and so each pass of the light made him wince slightly. He groaned as he straightened himself, using his black gloved left hand to push against the black leather of the seat. His right hand was not gloved, in an attempt at some sort of fashion statement. Even after he straightened, he found himself sinking into the seat, returning to the slouch his father frowned so heavily at.

On the radio, the song Somnus was playing. The piano and strings never failed to make Noctis feel oddly glum. Even the vocals were sad, sung in an ancient language. The song was named after the Founder King, who created the shining city they now occupied. The song sang of sleep, and of a coming war. It seemed almost prophetic. There was a sense of inevitability in its lyrics. Noctis had nearly memorized the song, which played every day on the Radio Insomnia station.

When they cleared the tunnel, the natural blue sunlight filled the car and Noctis grunted, momentarily closing his eyes. He reopened them and saw the citadel standing tall and proud over the rest of the skyscrapers lining the skyline of the royal city of Insomnia. The building's distinct rectangular spires built onto the four corners of the roof of the structure reached out and touched the blue sky, and near them Noctis noticed a few rectangular metal shapes hanging in the air, hovering near the citadel like buzzing insects.

"It's like a scene from an invasion," he muttered.

Cor, who heard this, pursed his lips. He studied the prince, who did his best to look as relaxed as possible. There was a falsity to it. He was trying too hard. The posture was still too stiff to be convincing.

Noctis tore his gaze away from the building and looked at the black seat in front of him. His kingdom of Lucis had been at war with the empire of Niflheim for some ten years. Despite this, he had barely felt its effects. Long ago, a king of Lucis had created a magical wall around the crown city, and his father sustained it even then with the power of the great crystal inside the citadel, as well as his own life force through the Ring of the Lucii he wore on his finger. This meant warfare didn't touch the city. The people went by living their lives almost absently from the bloodshed outside. The only evidence there was of the war having any effect on the city was with the king himself, who grew weaker with each passing day as he tried his best to keep the wall standing strong against the onslaught of the empire.

However, seeing the empire's ships within the walls of the city for the first time, Noctis never felt closer to the warfare that once seemed so distant. It finally came to their steps, and perhaps this was why his father agreed to the empire's terms? All lands surrounding the city were to be handed over to Niflheim. They would keep Insomnia. It wasn't so dissimilar to the empire's takeover of the Accordo Protectorate, whose people they allowed to live within a limited form of their former freedom within their beautiful water bound capital of Altissia. Still… there was something unsettling in the air. Something sinister about how they swarmed the citadel, as though they were closing in like a pack of hungry wolves.

If what they wanted was access to the city, they had it now…

"You'll be meeting with His Majesty at the citadel," Cor announced. "Afterwards, your friends are waiting at the market. Tonight, however, you'll be heading to the penthouse of Caelum Via. The party will be held there and the signing will be tomorrow at the citadel."

"Sounds like a plan," Noctis said.

The vocals returned to the song, and Noctis became distant again. After the tunnel, the overpass came to its apex, and the _Star of Lucis_ was now riding high above the buildings nearby, but the citadel loomed ahead like a great, towering obelisk. The world seemed to have slowed as the song began to drown out all other noises in Noctis's ears.

_Omnia dividit_

_Tragoedia coram_

_Amandum quae_

_Et nocte perpetua_

_In desperatione_

_Auroram videre potest_

_Mane tempus expergiscend_

Cor turned off the radio as they approached the checkpoint before the citadel. He rolled down the window, stopped the car, and nodded at an Insomnian guard nearby. The guard nodded back. Cor then pressed a command on a touch screen prompt near the steering wheel. Ahead of the car, several small stone pillars that served as a way to stop traffic lowered into the ground, their flat tops fitting perfectly into the road as to become nearly invisible. Cor nodded again and drove forward. Noctis looked at the guard, who bowed. The prince gave a grimacing smile.

After the gate, the road became a driveway which wound around the courtyard of the citadel. Cor came to a stop in front of the tall stone stairs and turned the car off. He stepped out to help Noctis exit, but the prince very quickly exited before he could get to him. Cor frowned as Noctis ignored him. Noctis stretched and looked up at the citadel, never failing to marvel at its sheer size. Every time he looked up, he felt as though he were going to fall backward. As he observed the sky, he did his best to ignore the airships from Niflheim still hanging near the spires.

"His Majesty awaits inside, Prince Noctis," Cor said.

"Right," replied Noctis. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Cor nodded and led the way up the stairs. Noctis made to follow, placing his black boot on the first step. He paused. He always paused. The prince took another look up. Even from the courtyard far below, he could faintly see the red glow from between the spires. On the roof of the citadel was the Chamber of the Crystal. Noctis had only been there once, when he was five years old and his father took him inside, as they did with all children of the Lucis Caelum dynasty. Within the dark chamber, the crystal had chosen him. This is what he had been told, though no one seemed to elaborate as to what being chosen by the crystal meant. No one, except for her...

Yet again, Noctis was pulled back to his youth. Eight years old, in the royal city of Tenebrae. Bound to a wheelchair after an accident, young Noctis had been wheeled around by the princess of Tenebrae, who would regale him with tales of the Astrals—the Gods of Lucis—and of the chosen task of the Lucii line. How they would protect the crystal granted to them by the Astrals, until such time as the Chosen King of Light would awaken his true power and vanquish the darkness.

It was all so incredibly vague. At first, being told he was the Chosen King felt strange to Noctis. He would have been lying if he said it didn't give a slight boost to his ego, but as time passed, the stories felt like... well, stories. Darkness seemed like a distant concept, especially in a city that never slept. So aptly named was Insomnia.

With a breath of Insomnian air, the Insomnian heir ascended the remaining steps. Cor swung aside the large doors and Noctis approached. However, he paused once more as he reached the entrance. He looked to his left and right. Two tall statues stood beside the door. They were of maidens, and black tears ran down their stone face. The melancholy and gothic architecture were spread throughout Insomnia, and the city seemed at times to be a celebration of death itself. Noctis had once asked Ignis for what reason the city seemed to revel in imagery of death—Ignis often held the answer to any question—and his retainer told him such was the influence of the Founder King Somnus. Even the crystal, which was often called the Crystal of Light, was occasionally referred to as the Crystal of Death. Particularly in the olden days. Noctis found the polarity of this representation odd, but shrugged it aside as the misunderstandings of ancient civilizations. Light. Death. What did it matter in the end? The crystal was to be protected by the Lucii. Such was their chosen task.

In the entrance chamber of the citadel, many paintings told tales of ancient wars, led by the former rulers of the Lucii, and their connection with the Astrals. The largest of these hanged on the back wall and stretched from edge to edge, depicting what was referred to as the Big Bang: a battle taken place long ago between the Astrals themselves. Even the Gods seemed incapable of avoiding warfare.

As they stepped inside, Cor walked off to the side and stood at rigid attention. As Noctis slowly walked inside, the door behind him shut on its own. The rectangular room was referred to as the Hall of History, and was about as far as the public could go. Straight ahead of Noctis was a set of stairs which rose and bifurcated to reach the upper level. At the foot of the stairs, leaning on a cane, stood the one hundred and thirteenth king of Lucis, Regis Lucis Caelum. A warm smile lifted his weary cheeks as his eyes fell upon his only son.

"Noctis," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"Same as ever," Noctis replied. He approached his father and gave a slight bow. "I see Niflheim has already arrived."

The smile on the king's face faltered, but it remained, albeit in a somewhat sad state. "That they have. The emperor will soon arrive. Worry not, Noctis. I won't have you meet him yet. Tonight, however. At the celebration. Did Ignis deliver your attire?"

"Stiff and uppity," Noctis replied with a light smile.

"It is regal wear, my boy," Regis laughed.

"I wasn't talking about the clothes."

"If you are indeed referring to your retainer, then know he has done all he was set out to do. A stiff upper lip is what you need. The Scientia family have stood proudly at our side for generations."

"It was just a joke," Noctis sighed. "You know I respect Ignis."

"Good." Regis was quiet for a moment. "I'm glad I could see you before tonight."

"Is this all you wanted?" Noctis asked. "Just to see me before tonight?"

"Is there something wrong with wanting to see my son in the morning?" Regis asked, amused. "Your friends are waiting for you, however. I won't keep you from them. But don't forget to change, Noctis. And…"

"And?" Noctis asked, tilting his head.

King Regis gently placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Wheresoever you shall go, you carry the line of Lucis with you. Walk tall, my son."

"I'm pretty sure I'm going to an arcade," Noctis said with a half-smile.

"Even at an arcade," Regis said with a laugh.

"I'll see you tonight, then?" Noctis asked.

"Yes. I'll be coming later tonight." Regis paused for a moment and shot a glance at Cor. "I have some business to attend to in the citadel first."

"Right. Well, see you."

Noctis gave another short bow and turned to leave.

"Wait, son." Noctis turned. The king limped over to him and held out a hand. Noctis opened his palm and felt a metal object drop inside. "The_ Regalia_ is yours now. A gift."

"A-are you serious?" Noctis asked, stunned.

"Drive it with pride," Regis said. "Take it with you. I have some business to attend to with Cor. Oh. Do be careful. It is busy on the streets right now."

Noctis nodded and ran off, ecstatic. Cor gave a slight bow as the prince ran by.

When Noctis disappeared outside, all traces of a smile were wiped from Regis's face. He turned to Cor, who genuflected.

"I'm am sorry, Your Majesty," he said. "I and the other Crownsguard all looked for a way to be able to sneak the prince out. Niflheim has them covered. To try and sneak him out of the city now would be very risky."

"The fault is not yours, Cor," Regis said with a sorrowful sigh. "I leave it to you to do everything you can to ensure my son's safety. Not just for my sake, Cor. But for the sake of all Eos. Cor... protect him. Even if it means leaving me."

"Of course, Your Majesty." Cor knew then he had received the most serious order of his life. There was nothing that mattered more than this. Everything he had trained for had led to this singular mission. He had to protect the Chosen King of Light.

* * *

As Noctis descended the stairs, he saw a man climbing his way up. The man noticed him and smiled and bowed. Titus Drautos was a man whose face bore many of the world-weary patterns which were also etched into Cor, though his beard was less well kept, connected to a stubbly mustache. While Cor led the Crownsguard, Drautos led the Kingsglaive. While the Crownsguard served as the military force of Lucis, the Kingsglaive were the hand selected royal guard. They were granted access to the royal magic by King Regis himself, formed some fifteen years prior.

"Good morning, Your Highness," Drautos said.

"Good morning, Captain Drautos," Noctis replied. He rushed past the man, who climbed the rest of the way up and entered the citadel. Involuntarily, Noctis gave a glance back, seeing the man briefly before he disappeared inside. For a moment, something had flashed inside of him. A voice not his own... He didn't catch what it said, and Noctis shook his head. "I might be going nuts..."

The _Star of Lucis_ was still parked at the bottom of the stone steps. Noctis stopped in front of the car, taking one last long look at his old car. It had been given to him for his sixteenth birthday, but he rarely used it, usually letting Ignis drive him around in it. He knew Cor and Drautos wanted to use it to ferry guests around, but he never figured it would mean the _Regalia_ would now belong to him. Noctis looked to his left where, parked on the side of the driveway, was the _Regalia_ itself. While both cars were sleek and black, the_ Star_ paled in comparison to the_ Regalia_. The car was the shining definition of royalty. It was longer, sharper, adorned with symbols of the royal family. A custom-made thing of kingly beauty. Despite all that however, Noctis's favorite feature was easily the collapsible roof, a feature sadly absent from the _Star._

Noctis spun the keyring on his finger and approached the car. He pressed a button on the fob and the car responded with a rapid succession of beeps. With his ungloved hand, he reached out and ran a finger across the black metal. As he looked into the window and into his slightly warped reflection, he was briefly taken back to a memory of his father returning from a trip abroad. He was reminded of how the _Regalia_ once made him sad, as seeing it usually meant his father was leaving. He smiled, opened the door, and, for the first time in his life, took a seat on the leather seat of the _Regalia_.

_Just wait until Prompto sees this_, he thought, smiling wickedly.

With a roar, the car came to life and Noctis carefully pulled away. He took in a sharp breath as he passed through the gate, and joined the traffic of Insomnia.

**Afternoon, day before the signing**

Prompto Argentum was careful to avoid dropping the two glass bottles of soda he was carrying as he weaved his way through the densely crowded arcade. The closer the young blonde got to Noctis, the busier the crowd became, as was typical of the prince. He knew deep down, Noctis didn't enjoy the attention, but it was different when it came to video games. It might have been his and his best friend's greatest passion.

"Excuse me," he said. "Make way. Prince's best friend coming through."

He pushed his way through the crowd, and saw Noctis waiting at a fighting game cabinet.

"Eosian Cola for the peasant, and one Royale Dew for the royal dude," Prompto said as he handed Noctis his drink.

"You're such a dork," Noctis replied. "C'mon. I saved you a game."

They set their sodas aside and took to rapidly tapping away at the arcade cabinet's buttons. As their digital avatars collided and contested, the crowd gathered around them and chanted louder and louder. The fight was in a dead heat. Neither was really better than the other. As the seconds on the game began to tick down, it was Prompto who managed to land the one last hit needed to finish off Noctis. The prince growled as he slammed a fist on the cabinet, and Prompto leaped back, performing what was referred to as a pop off as he celebrated his victory.

"Please," Noctis said. "Did you think I was trying?"

"Don't be a sore loser, highness," Prompto replied with a laugh.

The two then entered an argument about who was the better gamer, which resulted in them still arguing an hour later, after they had taken a seat at a table outside of a shake shack.

"Listen," Prompto said. "I know being a prince makes you naturally feel better than other people, but video games are my domain. You can't come into my domain and think you can rule over it like you can rule over Lucis."

"Please," Noctis replied. "You might be good, no doubt, but I still hold the record in Brawl Brothers. Even then, you haven't beaten Odin yet in Verum Rex, so what domain do you rule over exactly? The domain of the loser?"

"Gentlemen, please. You're both losers"

The two turned to see the bulky and muscular physique of one Gladiolus Amicitia. The beast of a man took a seat next to them, and the stool threatened to flatten beneath him. Noctis once remarked that he was the only man who could pull off some semblance of a mullet, with his black hair short in the front and longer in the back. When questioned, he described it as, "business in the front and party in the back," in his typically gruff voice.

Gladiolus grabbed the shake which Prompto had placed on the table but a few minutes ago, and took a heavy sip.

"Are you kidding me, Gladio?" Prompto protested.

"Hmm. Delicious," he growled. He gave Prompto the now nearly empty drink back.

"Aren't you supposed to avoid drinking stuff like this?" Prompto asked. "You know? To avoid getting fat?"

"What, like you used to be?" Gladiolus laughed. "Yeah, I know. I've seen the pictures."

"Wait, Prompto used to be fat?" Noctis asked.

"Hey!" Prompto shouted, jumping to his feet. "How... how?"

"I'm the Shield of the King.," Gladiolus said, pointing a thumb at Noctis. "Think I don't look into the history of the people he associates with?"

"That's not right, man," Prompto sighed.

"What does it matter now, anyway?" Noctis asked. "You aren't fat anymore."

"I guess it doesn't..." Prompto muttered.

A shake was placed in front of Gladiolus, who looked up to see it had been placed there by the very rigid and very prepared Ignis Scientia. The tall man briefly pushed his glasses back, before rolling over a stool and taking a seat. He was a man so rigid even his brown hair was at attention, gelled into a sort of faux hawk, with only the bangs stuck straight up.

"You all seem to be having a lively conversation," he said. His accent was quite different from the others. All members of the Scientia family had a thicker tongue, speaking proper like the people of the Accordo Protectorate.

"We were just discussing Prompto's former weight," Gladiolus said.

"I don't think we should be!" Prompto shouted.

"Why not?" Ignis asked. "I think it should be admired how much healthier you are now."

"Really? Well..." Prompto started. "Hey! You knew as well?"

"I am the future king's retainer," Ignis replied. "I look into anyone he associates with."

"Well, aren't you two so important..." Prompto sighed.

Noctis broke out into laughter.

"Relax, Prompto," he said. "Don't feel left out or anything…" Noctis paused for a moment. "Want to see my car?"

"Oh, right!" Prompto shouted. "The_ Regalia_! Yes, I want to see!"

"I'm coming as well," Gladiolus said. "What about you, Specs?"

Ignis, who was not offended by this nickname, shook his head and replied, "I'm to meet with Master Cor soon, actually. I was stopping by for a quick shake and to remind Noctis to wear the suit tonight."

"I'll have it on," Noctis sighed. "You and dad need to relax. I've got it all under control."

"I'd like to believe you, Noct," Ignis said. "I really would. I'll be stopping by before you depart to make sure you wear it right."

"I wasn't aware there was a right or wrong way to wear clothes," Noctis said.

"That's what has me concerned."

"That's a problem for later," Prompto said. "We have a car to admire!"

The three departed, leaving Ignis to sip from the shake in his lonesome. He did it with more dignity than one might imagine was possible. After a moment, his phone beeped. He pulled it out of his pocket and examined the screen, which was lit up from a text message from Cor:

MEET ME AT THE CITADEL.

Ignis replied he was on his way. He finished the shake and dropped it off in a nearby trash can, straightened his collar, and departed.

A block away, Noctis and his two friends approached the _Regalia_. It had been parked outside of the market, in a place where it was quite noticeable. A large party of ogglers and onlookers parted as Noctis and his friends approached. Gladiolus had managed to scatter them with one of his signature glares. When they finally had the chance to admire the car, Gladiolus whistled in appreciation.

"I always forget quite how awesome this car looks," he said.

"Yeah, and it's mine!" Noctis exclaimed. "It's a thing of beauty."

Prompto admired his reflection in the onyx metal. "Boy… you are a lucky one," he whispered.

"Don't I know it… wanna go for a ride?"

"With you at the wheel?" Prompto tapped his chin in mock consideration. "I don't know if I want to die yet."

"Are you serious?" Noctis exclaimed. "I drove it here!"

"I'm sure we'll hear all about it on the evening news as well," Prompto replied.

"Yeah," Gladiolus said. He cleared his throat and, in his best imitation of a newscaster (albeit one with a ridiculously deep voice), said, "Local prince ruins monumental peace treaty after running over half of the Niflheim visitors."

Prompto broke out into riotous laughter. Noctis frowned.

"Never mind. Offer rescinded." In a huff, he turned his back and folded his arms.

A group of four men ran by on the sidewalk, nearly crashing into Gladiolus and Prompto.

"Hey!" Gladiolus shouted.

"Sorry," one of the men said, briefly turning.

Gladiolus studied them. They were dressed all in black, in the unmistakable garb of the Kingsglaive. They rushed down the road and disappeared around a corner.

"The Kingsglaive," Gladiolus said. "Wonder where they are rushing off to?"

"I don't really understand the Kingsglaive," Prompto said. "How are they any different from the Crownsguard?"

"The Crownsguard are the military of Lucis," Gladiolus explained. "The Kingsglaive are more elite. They have been granted power by the king as well, unlike the Crownsguard. Basically, they serve as the royal guard."

"How exactly does the magic stuff work?" Prompto asked. "Like, I get the Lucii line, like Noct here, can use magic because of the ancient bloodline, but how does it work for the Kingsglaive?"

"It's... confusing," Gladiolus said. "The royal line can grant others a part of their power. Noct here can do the same thing for us too."

Noctis nodded. "If you're nice, I might even lend you some."

"I wonder how these guys feel about the treaty?" Gladiolus asked.

"Right," Noctis replied. "A lot of them have homes outside of the city. I can't imagine they're happy about the treaty."

"A lot of people aren't," Prompto muttered.

"Oh?" Noctis asked.

"Yeah... I've been hearing it all over. A lot of whispering, both negative and positive. There are people who have families out there, so some people feel like they've been thrown to the wolves..." Prompto looked over at Noctis, and noticed his expression had twisted into a grimace. "I mean, I don't I think all that! I'm just saying... it's what I heard."

Noctis was silent. He rapped his fingers on the _Regalia_.

"Don't think I haven't noticed," Noctis mumbled after a moment. "I don't know what dad is thinking. This whole thing seems wrong. Niflheim being here... I've got a bad feeling about the whole thing, but I don't know what to do about it."

"We just have to trust that the king knows what he is doing," Gladiolus said. "He's been doing this for a long time. He's a smart man, and he's doing everything he can. I'm sure of it." He pulled Noctis in with his arm, the young prince protesting. "We'll keep an eye out, yeah? And if anything goes wrong... I'll be here to protect you."

He released Noctis, who stumbled backward into the car. "Thanks, Gladio," he mumbled.

"I think it's time we got ready," Gladiolus said. "Things are going to get hectic tonight."

* * *

At the foot of the steps of the citadel, Cor Leonis had been pacing back and forth, considering the actions he was soon to take. Prince Noctis was at the market. Soon he'd be heading home to grab his clothes for the celebration. The Crownsguard had been monitoring him from a safe distance, feeding the reports back to him. Still... he saw something in the eyes of his soldiers. Even in those of the Kingsglaive. Their loyalty was being pushed to the limit. The threat of dissension was therefore at an all-time high, and Cor found himself gripping his katana harder than ever.

It had been days since the announcement of the terms of peace, and as Cor moved through the crowds of Insomnia, the whispers of the vox populi spoke promises of a coming turmoil. A broken people. He had made sure to look into the people under his command and keep close watch on those who had family outside of the city. The entirety of the Kingsglaive fell under this. All of them had hailed from towns and villages in the desert of Leide. They had seen bloodshed. They had joined in the hopes of protecting their families.

Cor ultimately could not object. His family had always been contained within Insomnia and he could not be sure if his loyalty would have crumbled in the face of these revelations.

"Good afternoon, marshal," said Ignis, whose voice pulled Cor from his grim thoughts.

Cor straightened himself out and cleared his throat as he saw the approaching retainer of Prince Noctis.

"Ah, Ignis," Cor said. "I'm glad you've made it."

"A request for a meeting with the leader of the Crownsguard can hardly be ignored," Ignis replied.

Cor laughed. "Of course." He cleared his throat again as he prepared to get down to business. "I imagine the terms of surrender have been made clear to you." Ignis nodded. "Good. The king has orders for us. Yours are not much different than they were before. Keep Noctis under watch... A few days ago, we looked into moving Noctis outside of the city before the signing ceremony. It proved unfeasible. This is where you come in, as well as Gladiolus. King Regis is no fool. This signing... is most likely a trap. It will fall to you two then to ensure Noctis makes his way out of the city. Always be nearby. Expect the worst. We know not when they might attack, but we know it is a very distinct possibility. Understand?"

Ignis slowly nodded. "I don't think anyone really trusts Niflheim."

"It would be very unwise to. They have us exactly where they want us. Days ago, Imperial High Chancellor Izunia arrived and gave the terms of our surrender. He made it very clear where we stand. Niflheim is prepared to steamroll over the outlands. There's only so long the king can sustain the wall."

"I do not envy the king his position," Ignis said.

"Nor do I," Cor replied. "Keep your ear to the ground, Ignis. Return to him now. Keep him safe, and keep your phone open. Should our worst fears come true, I will contact you with further instructions."

Ignis bowed. "Of course."

The retainer departed and left Cor to continue his pacing. His phone rang.

"Hello?" he said into the receiver. "Ah. Monica. Good... Have you found Mister Ulric?"


	3. Chapter Two: Nox Fatum

Update(s):

1\. Changed the chapter title from "A Meeting Predestined by the Divine" to "Nox Fatum" as I felt the former, while a nice reference to the original Versus XIII, doesn't quite match the story moment.

2\. Fixed grammatical errors.

3\. Fixed further grammatical errors.

4\. Cleaned up some sentences.

5\. Extended dialogue between Noctis and Luna.

* * *

Chapter Two

Nox Fatum

"We throw our weapons to warp, to give us an anchor point," said Nyx Ulric to a group of trainee Kingsglaive. "With access to only a limited version of the royal magic, using an anchor point is key. It can be difficult and dangerous to try and warp without one. That being said, the anchor point can also be utilized in combat. A Warp Strike is a key combat maneuver for a Glaive. Just be sure not to expend too much of your reserves, or warping will be too much of a strain."

Nyx tossed a kukri into the air, caught it, and then tossed it across the training ground. It sped in front of the trainees and collided against the wooden fence on the other side of the circular arena. It bounced off, but before it could hit the ground, it was caught. Nyx Ulric had appeared and caught the knife in a cloud of electric blue magical mist. His blue eyes had temporarily changed to a shade of violet, and his veins had become visible on his neck. They faded back to normal as the mist disappeared.

The trainees were wowed.

"Simple enough," Nyx said. "Now it's your turn."

He stood behind the wooden fence surrounding the arena and observed the trainees, occasionally barking out instructions as they fumbled around. He thought back to when he had first tried warping. It had been an awkward experience, tossing a knife and trying his best to end up where it landed, often times with embarrassing results. Particularly when he didn't actually move anywhere and just stood there like a fool.

"I'm surprised we managed to find more volunteers," came a female voice from behind Nyx. He turned and saw Monica Elshett approaching. The hardened middle aged Crownsguard commander gave a short bow.

"They had managed to make their way into the city about a week ago," Nyx said. "Before any of this treaty stuff happened."

"How are they taking it?" she asked.

"Hard to say. They aren't verbalizing their thoughts to me, but in their eyes… you can see the hesitation."

"And what about you?" Monica asked. "You have family outside of the city."

"Had," Nyx replied. "I can't pretend I'm happy about this, but I'll do what I'm hired to do."

"Good to hear," she replied.

"So why are you here?" Nyx asked. "I know you wanted to speak to me. What for?"

"I'm here at the behest of Cor. Tonight, at Caelum Via. He wants you there. He has sent out orders for the Kingsglaive and the Crownsguard. We need to be prepared."

"I can be there," Nyx replied.

"Good. The marshal trusts you, as does Captain Drautos. Is he here, by the way?"

"He is indeed," came Drautos's voice from nearby. He had been leaning on a pillar, but he pushed himself off as he approached the pair. "Thought I would take a brief moment to look at the new recruits, see what we had at our disposal."

"What do you think, captain?" Nyx asked.

Drautos looked at the stumbling group. "I think we need more time, but we haven't any."

"I know you were hoping they'd be ready for the signing ceremony, but one week isn't enough time to train them to fight this way. They're used to combat back home, but royal magic is a whole different game."

"Let's hope their combat training will be adequate then," Drautos said with a sigh.

"You're expecting it to get _that _bad?" Nyx asked.

"Best to prepare for anything," Drautos replied. "I wouldn't hold much faith to Niflheim."

Nyx gave a small nod. Faith in Niflheim wasn't strong all around, and really, why should it have been? After ten years of bloody and destructive warfare, the people were supposed to just accept they wished for peace? Nyx then sighed and ran a hand through his dark grey hair.

"Hell of a situation," he muttered.

Drautos nodded in agreement and pulled a set of keys out of his pocket. "Nyx. I need you to come with me. The emperor has entered the city, and I've received instructions to pick up an... important person. I want you with me."

"Remember, Nyx," Monica said as the pair began to walk away. "Caelum Via. Tonight."

"Got it," Nyx said. He turned to address the recruits. "That's enough for now. Take a break."

The exhausted men gave an appreciative series of thanks.

Nyx and Drautos left the training ground, walking through a tunnel leading to the outside of the structure. Parked in front of the building was the _Star of Lucis_. Drautos unlocked it with the key fob and stepped inside, inviting Nyx to do the same.

"Fancy car," Nyx said after he had buckled himself in and the captain had pulled the car away.

"It belongs to the prince," Drautos replied. "We got permission to use it to ferry guests to the hotel."

"And we are on our way to ferry one now?" Nyx asked.

"One Lunafreya Nox Fleuret," Drautos said. "Former princess of Tenebrae. We're taking her to the citadel. King Regis wants to speak to her."

"The king himself? What do you think he wants with her?" Nyx asked, while staring absently at the rush of civilians taking to the streets.

"I can't speak with certainty as I wasn't there to witness it myself," Drautos said, "but it has been some twelve years since she was last seen by the king. When King Regis and his son had last visited Tenebrae, it ended in a violent attack by the empire, who were trying to snuff him out. It's no surprise he'd want to see her again after all this time... and, I'm sure you're aware part of the terms of the treaty is the marriage of Prince Noctis and Lady Lunafreya."

"The hell is up with that?"

"They claim it's to help build relations between their nations, but..." Drautos trailed off.

"But what?" Nyx asked.

"But... the king believes it's for a different reason. The empire wants to have Noctis and Lunafreya in the same place. The supposed Chosen King and the Oracle herself... To claim their lives would be to end the prophecy before it's even properly begun."

Nyx was silent for a moment. "Heavy stuff."

"Indeed. Regardless. Our job has been made clear. We follow it to the tee. It's all we can really do at the end of the day."

"For hearth and home, then?" Nyx asked, using the familiar cry of the Kingsglaive.

"For hearth and home."

The _Star of Lucis_ sped ahead, weaving through the increasingly busy traffic as the celebrations were beginning to come into full swing. Nyx returned his attention to absently watching the crowds bustling through the streets. He became lost in the sea of faces as his thoughts trailed off to the upcoming treaty signing. It had been several years since he lost his family when Niflheim first invaded Lucis, and the scars would never heal. This deal... a part of him felt betrayed as he thought of Niflheim ruling over the lands of Lucis, and yet... What choice did the king have? Would Nyx have chosen any differently if he were in position?

He reasoned that only time could tell what would happen next.

**Evening, day before the signing**

"How does it fit?" Ignis asked as he clasped the last button of the black suit fitted onto Noctis.

"It's a little tight," Noctis replied, with a grunt. "And more than a little stiff too. I feel ridiculous in this," he sighed. "Even your clothes look less fancy. Do I really have to wear this?"

"It's neither your nor my choice, Noct," Ignis sighed. "It is for one night only. If you can't stand this, however will you bear to wear your wedding tuxedo?"

"I... don't even want to think about it right now," Noctis said, grimacing. "How am I supposed to get married?"

"I'm sure it'll be fine. Regardless, it is to Lady Lunafreya. I know you already harbor feelings towards her."

This, for some reason, embarrassed Noctis and he immediately felt the urge to argue against it. He shook his head, deciding it best to not argue the point. He couldn't deny he held strong feelings for her. The notebook was enough proof...

"It is what it is," Noctis ultimately decided.

"For what it is worth, I think it looks good," Ignis said.

Noctis studied his reflection in the tall mirror in front of him. Ignis stepped aside to allow him room and Noctis held up his arms. The suit had been painstakingly stitched together for him by master tailors, and it showed. There was no denying that this was the sort of thing that screamed royalty. The problem lay in how much Noctis tried to scream the opposite.

A faint trumpeting was heard then. Ignis straightened up and Noctis lowered his arms.

"It's time, then?" Noctis asked.

"It is time."

**Night, day before the signing**

Fireworks erupted, followed swiftly by cheers by the patrons crowded on the rooftop penthouse of the tall Caelum Via Hotel and Resort. The upper level was separated into two: the outside and the inside. The outside had a small pool currently unoccupied, save a small orchestra nearby playing Somnus, as well as several tables set up for the guests to relax and dine at. The inside was surrounded by a glass dome, and within was a large aquarium, as well as several portraits of the Astrals, and one of Eos, Goddess of the Dawn. This was larger than the others.

Noctis ascended the stairs to the glass dome slowly. The erupting fireworks did little for him than light up the night sky. He glanced back at his father, who was busy in conversation with Emperor Iedolas Aldercapt himself, emperor of Niflheim. The old man had been robed in white, and spoke softly but firmly. Noctis had a brief interaction with him, but it was little more than the exchanging of names and pleasantries. The emperor spoke kindly, but his eyes were deep and fierce. They had frightened Noctis a little.

The prince shook his head and entered the dome. He absently observed a great white shark pass by in the large aquarium, and traced his finger along the glass. Nights like these, he often just found himself waiting for it to end, and he often found the reprieve would take much longer than was comfortable. He had hoped Prompto would have been able to make it up to the penthouse, but his hopes were dashed. He was too much of a commoner. Ignis was nearby, standing watch from the lower level. Gladiolus was also close at hand, though Noctis hadn't seen where. They had their excuses for being up there, but neither were his best friend.

As he rounded the circular aquarium, he paused. Ahead of him was a sight he was not prepared to see. Dressed in white, back to him, a blonde lady stood, observing the portrait of Eos. Noctis's heart leaped to his throat, threatening to burst out and smash through the glass ceiling to explode with the fireworks above. It was _her_.

When Lunafreya turned, it was as though the world had slowed to a crawl. The smile creeping to the corner of her fair lips were enough to make Noctis feel as though he were a block of ice melting into the red carpet at his feet. He gave what must have been a very audible gulp as she swiftly approached him.

"Prince Noctis," she said. Her voice was softer than he remembered, but he last saw her twelve years ago, kept only in touch by the notebook they passed between themselves. The thing keeping his feeling growing stronger. "Do you recognize me?"

It was then Noctis realized he had lost his voice. His mouth was slightly open, and he felt the linings of his throat dry as the air entered, none escaping. After a moment, he sent saliva to soothe it and managed to locate his missing vocals.

"Of course, Lady Lunafreya," he said. He adjusted his posture so he was leaning back on his feet and folded his arms nonchalantly. "Who could forget?"

Lunafreya giggled, a sound so light it sounded to Noctis like the ringing of a gentle bell. "I'm honored, your highness. I was just observing the portrait of Eos. Such a beautiful and sad painting."

"What..." Noctis began. "What's so sad about it?"

"Well," Lunafreya replied. "It's not so much the picture but Eos's fate. A sad thing. The legends say she sleeps forever, never to awaken. Destined to remain asleep in the fantasy. A sad fate, no?"

"I'd certainly be sad if it happened to me," Noctis said.

"And now she is to be absent as her children wage war…" Lunafreya trailed off. Noctis frowned. After a moment, she shook her head and gave a small smile. "Sorry. This is a celebration and I'm bringing it down, aren't I?"

"No! Of course not…" However, Noctis also managed to trail off. Lunafreya raised an eyebrow, and Noctis smiled sheepishly. "Well, maybe a little…"

Another giggle. Something about making her laugh filled Noctis with a sense of pride he didn't realize he had been lacking, and sorely desiring. It was such a beautiful sound. He felt the immediate urge to try and draw it out again, but Lunafreya marched up to the aquarium and peered inside into the deep blue waters. She watched the fish, both big and small, swimming around.

"You know, I caught some of those," Noctis said, leaning against the glass.

"Ah, yes," Lunafreya replied with a smile. "I remember you writing me about your love of fishing. I'm glad to see it hasn't left."

Noctis suddenly found himself swelling with excitement at someone actually being interested in his fishing. "Yeah! It's super relaxing. You should give it a shot…" Noctis began to trail off halfway into the sentence. It seemed to be becoming a common occurrence, much to his chagrin.

"I would, if I could," Lunafreya replied with a sad smile. "I'm afraid they don't really permit me in the empire."

"Right. I'm sorry…"

"No need. I know you didn't mean anything by it." Lunafreya's gaze returned to the fish. "I get how they feel though. Trapped in there."

"I get it too," Noctis muttered. "I mean, I guess not in the extreme way you do. I can't leave Insomnia myself, but..."

"At least you have your father, right?" Lunafreya replied, finishing his sentence.

Noctis was silent for a moment, trying to figure out if what he said was making her sad. "Yeah..."

"I suppose that's our lot in life," Lunafreya replied. "What I'd give to be able to freely travel the world..." she trailed off. After a moment, she looked at Noctis and her cheeks reddened. "Ah, I'm rambling a little, aren't I? I suppose I have more important things I need to worry about than travelling the world."

"Like what?" Noctis asked. "You mean like Oracle related things?"

"Yes," Lunafreya said with a nod. "A lot of people are relying on me to follow my duties. I need to put them before myself."

"Is it scary having that many people rely on you?" Noctis asked, thinking briefly of his own future as the son of a king. "How do you manage?"

"It is scary," Lunafreya affirmed, "but it's also in a way more motivating because of it. I think of all the people that I'm helping, and it in turn helps me to cope. Are you scared, Noctis?"

"What?" Noctis quickly replied. "No, I'm not. I'm..." Noctis trailed off. "I shouldn't lie. Yeah. It's pretty scary. I've seen what my father has gone through all these years and it does frighten me. Physically, he's so much more worn out than he used to be. This past decade... he's lost so much of himself. His hair's gone grey. He has a limp. Every day, he seems to lean harder and harder on that cane of his. Frankly, I don't know how I could deal with it if I was in his position..."

"I believe you'd make for a great king," Lunafreya replied.

"And you'd be by my side then? With this whole arranged marriage thing?" Noctis asked.

The subject unfortunately made the air rather stiff. Lunafreya gave a small smile, but it didn't seem as natural as the others she gave.

"How do you feel about that?" she asked. "About us getting married I mean."

"I..." Noctis began. He looked into the aquarium as though searching for some sort of answer in its darkened corners. Finding nothing, his gaze slowly trailed back to the princess. "I mean, I'm glad that it's you rather than a stranger, but..."

Lunafreya raised an eyebrow. "But..?"

"Well, not that I don't think you're beautiful or anything because you are, but..." Noctis trailed off again. Lunafreya, however, watched him patiently. Her expression was hard to read. "Well, it's just so sudden, right?"

Lunafreya let out a breath Noctis didn't know she was holding and nodded. "That's the way I feel too. I do care for you Noctis. Very deeply. But we've been apart for so long and to have our first meeting after all these years be after it's been decided we should be betrothed... Well, it is a lot of complicated feelings I need to sort out."

"Yeah," Noctis replied.

There was silence again. Lunafreya's gaze had trailed off and she seemed to be staring past Noctis to some unknown corner of the room. The prince tapped a finger on the glass of the aquarium.

"I noticed a balcony on the other side of the aquarium," Lunafreya said after a moment. "I think I could use the fresh night air. Care to join me?"

Noctis nodded and the two made their way there. Noctis took a glance back at the portrait of Eos. It was her, arms spread apart as though trying to embrace something. Around her was a halo of light, but in the painting it was surrounded by tendrils of darkness choking the light. Her eyes were shut, as she was asleep. As though she were awaiting something. For the second time, something flashed within Noctis and he heard a voice. This time, he could make it out.

_Who are you?_ It asked. The voice was faint, and a little distorted, as though coming through a phone with a weak connection. Noctis could not identify the gender.

"I should be asking you," Noctis replied. He wasn't sure where the answer came from. He just blurted it out, staring at the painting as though he were speaking to it.

"Hmm? Something on your mind?"

Noctis turned to see Lunafreya a few paces ahead, looking back in concern. Noctis straightened up and cleared his throat.

"Nothing!" he said. "Let's go. Sorry about that."

Lunafreya nodded, and Noctis took another look at the painting, but it was as it always was. With a small shake of his head, he pursued after Lunafreya again. The pair walked through a small set of glass doors and stepped out onto the balcony. Noctis looked down over the metal railing, and nearly reeled from the dizzying height. The people far below looked as ants. Lunafreya, however, kept her gaze skyward.

"Do you remember back when you visited Tenebrae?" she asked.

"Of course," Noctis replied. "It was after the car accident. I had been attacked by a daemon and rushed to your mother for healing." Noctis leaned forward against the metal rail. "I never did get to properly thank her. Not before the empire..."

He looked over at Lunafreya, who still kept her gaze skyward.

"We made a promise that day," she said. "A promise to always keep in touch by notebook." She smiled. "I remember you said it would be easier to talk by phone, but I liked how... romantic a notebook was... and after the empire attacked... well, it became the only way we could communicate."

"I remember when Umbra first came to me," Noctis said, eyes becoming distant. "Barely older than a puppy with the notebook strapped to his back. It... was the first message I got from you after the attack. I remember dad was so worried. He wasn't sure if you were still alive. I remember how I felt when I first read your note. I was so relieved you were still alive."

"You remember what it said?" Lunafreya asked. She tore her gaze from the heavens and looked at Noctis.

Noctis met her gaze and held it. "Hello, Prince." Noctis smiled. "It was a simple message, but it came with a sylleblossom flower. I knew then it was from you. For sure."

"Well," Lunafreya said. "Hello, Prince."

Somehow, they had leaned in close without noticing. Another firework exploded, but it was lost to them as they looked into the eyes of the other. Hers were as deep and blue as the ocean, and Noctis felt adrift in the tides. Their hands had slid across the metal and met, and Noctis felt his pulse increasing. She was before him. The woman from his dreams he hadn't gone a day without thinking about since they had been forcefully separated those twelve years ago. His future _wife_. In that brief moment, Noctis nearly dismissed his previous notions of their marriage being too sudden. But the moment was cut short before either could make that decision.

"I was wondering where you two had disappeared to," came a sharp and florid voice.

The two quickly separated and Noctis turned to the door. Standing before him was a blonde man dressed in elegant white Tenebraen armor. As his eyes fell upon his face and met his fierce hetero-chromatic blue and purple eyes, Noctis felt a pulse of recognition. Another person who had been lost to him twelve years ago, in the fires left in Niflheim's wake. The boy who had always stood so rigid and serious. The older brother of Lunafreya.

"Good evening, Ravus," Lunafreya said.

"Come, sister," Ravus said. "You are needed at the party. Your absence has been felt for far too long."

"Of course," Lunafreya replied, bowing her head. "How foolish of me." She turned to Noctis. "I will see you later, Noctis?"

"Of course," he replied. Noctis smiled. "Good luck out there. I can barely handle it."

Lunafreya smiled back and touched his hand, which had been gripping the rail. "It was good to see you again, Noctis. Thank you."

"O-of course," Noctis stuttered.

With a bow, Lunafreya left, very stiffly passing by her brother. She took a glance back at Noctis and smiled again, before disappearing into the aquarium. Noctis's gaze turned to Ravus.

"It has been a long time, Ravus," Noctis said.

"Do not offend me, Noctis," he quickly replied.

Noctis's jaw fell. "I-I wasn't trying to... how was that—?"

"Your voice offends my ears," Ravus said, and swiftly turned and left.

"What the hell?" Noctis muttered.

Still, he couldn't be upset for long. She was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. His heart was still racing from the encounter, and he wondered when he would see her again. He returned his gaze to the skyline and leaned against the railing again, letting out a sigh. What a day.

Then he looked out at the horizon at the rectangular objects hanging above the skyline. They were approaching Caelum Via, still some minutes away.

"More envoys?" Noctis groaned. "And really, what the hell is wrong with Ravus?"

The prince pushed off of the rail and returned to the aquarium. He felt the need then to find Ignis and speak to him about Ravus and his strange behavior. His trip was cut short.

_CRASH!_

The glass of the dome shattered and Noctis jumped back, confused. One of the airships from Niflheim had smashed through the glass dome.

_An accident? _Noctis thought.

Then, as though to answer, the ship opened up and several armed soldiers rushed out, aiming their rifles straight at him. Screams began to fill the night. Noctis's eyes grew wide. It didn't take him long to realize what was happening. The invasion had begun.

The prince reached out and his palm was suddenly filled by the hilt of his _Engine Blade_, a custom-made sword of his design. Before they could open fire, Noctis tossed his sword at the nearest soldier, and disappeared in a flash of blue light.


	4. Chapter Three: Insomnia Undone

Update(s):

1\. Cleaned up various sentences.

2\. Added the Kingsglaive appearing before Cor at the end of the chapter.

* * *

Chapter Three

Insomnia Undone

**Night, minutes before the attack**

Gladiolus watched Noctis disappear inside the dome and made to follow, when his father approached him. His old man was not as buff as his son, as age claimed much of his muscle mass, and he even failed to possess an inkling of his former head of black hair, but he was still an expert with a blade. Clarus Amicitia had never failed to protect King Regis the multiple times he was present in the attempts against his life. He had still managed to best his son in their last bout weeks ago, though Gladiolus would claim he was taking it easy on the aging warrior. A sentiment both knew was false. As his father approached, Gladiolus stopped and gave a short bow.

"Son," his father, Clarus, said. "Leave him be for now. You know who is in there right now?" Gladiolus shook his head. "Lady Lunafreya," Clarus continued, with a small wink.

"Ah," Gladiolus replied. "I suppose his highness wouldn't be too happy with me intruding. So, any news on anything yet?"

"The king is still speaking to the emperor," Clarus said with a sigh. "It's about the most wooden of pleasantries, but it is still pleasantries. The chancellor, however..."

"I've heard about this chancellor," Gladiolus said. "I haven't seen him yet, though. Where is he?"

"He left. He unsettles me, son. There's something off about his smile."

"Right." Gladiolus took another look around, eyes scanning for Ignis. The retainer had approached him hours ago, voicing Cor's commands and concerns. "Where did Ignis go? He was near the king."

"I imagine to get a view of the prince," Clarus said. "I wouldn't be too concerned with Ignis. He's pretty capable. I know your job is to keep a close watch on Noctis, but I have another request for you."

"Of course," Gladiolus quickly said. "What is it?"

"Your sister, Iris, is in the floor below." Clarus placed a hand on his considerably taller son's shoulder. "I know as the former head of the Crownsguard, I should not believe this to be so, but as a father, I view her protection as important as Prince Noctis's."

"Believe me, dad. I know." Gladiolus bowed. "I'll do everything I can to protect both."

"Good. Keep those eyes sharp, son. I'll return to the king."

"Of course. Good luck."

"Same to you, son." With a small bow, Clarus left.

"Your father is quite the local legend," came the voice of someone nearby. Gladiolus turned to see a Kingsglaive he hadn't met speaking to him. He held out a hand. "Ulric. Nyx Ulric."

Gladiolus took the hand and shook it. "Amicitia. Gladiolus Amicitia."

* * *

Ignis Scientia had retreated to the floor below to use the restroom. After washing his hands and stepping out, he marched over to the stairs leading to the roof, when he was stopped with a familiar and perky "Hello!" Ignis turned to see, dressed in a black dress, young brunette Iris Amicitia approaching.

"Lady Iris," Ignis said. "I wasn't aware you were up here."

"Oh," she sighed. "They shoved me up here with the rest of these rich people. It's super stuffy and I've kinda had enough of it, if I'm honest. So... is Noct up there?"

"Yes. Last I saw, speaking to Lady Lunafreya."

Something briefly passed through Iris. An expression Ignis hadn't the time to catch, but one he assumed was a small form of jealousy. It seemed everyone, but Noctis himself, was aware of what the young maiden felt for the prince.

"Well, good for him, yeah?" she squeaked.

Ignis smiled. "Why not head up top if it's so stuffy down here?"

"Ehh. The emperor kinda scares me if I'm honest." She gave a sheepish smile.

Ignis found himself laughing. "I suppose he is scary, isn't he. Very well, then."

Iris looked out a nearby window as she noticed a grey Niflheim airship getting a little close to the building.

* * *

Prompto snapped a photo of a nearby dancing and drunken man. He smiled, aiming his camera at Caelum Via. The young commoner was at the foot of the building, and he used the long lens he had spent the last of his savings on to zoom as close as he could to the roof in the hopes of catching a glimpse of his best friend. However, just as he was about to snap a photo of Gladiolus, whose back was visible near the edge of the roof, he noticed a movement in his peripheral vision. He slowly lowered his camera in horror as a Niflheim airship crashed into the building.

**Night, Imperial Invasion of Insomnia**

Caelum Via had erupted into utter chaos. The people fled to the stairwells and the elevators, screaming all the while as missiles hailed down at the building. Within the dome, the aquarium had shattered, and the many fish desperately flopped around as they choked on the cacophonous air. Surrounding them were the limp and lifeless body of several Niflheim soldiers.

The _Engine Blade_ hit the floor of the outer area of the rooftop and got stuck half in. Prince Noctis appeared soon after in a flash of light, gripping his blade. Instead of wrenching it free, he stood and called the blade back to him, which appeared in his hand in a blue flash. Noctis immediately spun and took off the arm of a soldier. With another slash, he severed his throat, and the gurgling soldier slowly fell to the ground with a metallic clang.

Panting, drenched in sweat, the prince looked around. The soldiers were dead. He heard another explosion and looked up to see an airship raining missile fire at the side of the hotel. Screams tore through the cacophony and disappeared nearly as swiftly as they came.

_Bastards!_ thought Noctis. _Where is Gladio? Ignis? Prompto? Or... Lunafreya!_

"Luna!" Noctis cried out.

Gods above, if she had been harmed, there weren't enough bodies Niflheim could spare. Noctis looked around, but it had been cleared out save the airship slowly circling the building. It had yet to notice him on the roof. Noctis gripped his sword tight and tossed it. In a flash, he rolled onto the roof of the airship. To help keep himself steady, he called the sword away and it disappeared. With both hands, he crawled across the roof of the airship. Far below, he saw an envoy of vehicles on the move, all sleek and black, seemingly heading toward the citadel in the distance. It was then he remembered someone else: his father. He had to have been in the convoy, or at the very least, the convoy was heading towards him. Cursing, Noctis looked for a way down. The height was still as dizzying as ever.

Another missile launched from the airship at the hotel, and Noctis decided he needed to put this thing out of commission. He headed toward the back of the airship. When it had crashed through the glass dome, Noctis had noticed the airship had spun around. The back would lower into a ramp and the people inside could rush out. He needed to find a way to open up the airship and get inside. Then he would cut them all down, the bastards.

He crawled his way to the back and peered over the edge. The wind threatened to blow him off and he gripped the metal tightly. He noticed it, then. A small opening. Noctis growled and called for the _Engine Blade _again.

The Niflheim soldiers were definitely surprised when a sword fell into their ship. Within moments, they were scattered as Noctis warped inside and made quick work of them. In the cramped space, they stood little chance against royal magic. They hadn't the time or the room to pull their guns, but Noctis didn't need it, summoning his weapon as though from nothing. He had to be careful though. Powerful as he was with royal magic, he couldn't overexert himself, lest he be unable to find and save anyone.

There was something Noctis forgot to consider: Without any one to pilot a ship, it goes down. First rule of flying. Noctis braced himself, grabbing a metal bar above the benches inside the ship as he felt it quickly drop.

_This is going to hurt,_ he thought, groaning.

With a jolt, he gripped the bar as tightly as he could and kept himself from flying into the ceiling. The ship had started sliding forward, rumbling as it sped across the ground. With another great crash, Noctis was thrown into the air, unable to hold on any longer, and slammed against the metal wall opposite him. He hit the ground with a heavy grunt, dazed. When he pushed himself back to his feet, he stumbled to the back of the airship and looked around for any sort of release mechanism. He found a lever by the door and pulled it. With a hiss and a groan of metal, the back dropped with a deep thud against the ground. Noctis stumbled out of the ship and looked around. He was on another rooftop, one belonging to a building several stories shorter than the Caelum Via hotel, which loomed right next to the him. The building was fenced, and Noctis peered through the metal links at the building on the other end. Through the window, he could see several people still stampeding in desperation to reach the streets below.

He walked over to the fence and pressed his face against it, doing his best to see down to the street. He estimated he must have been a good forty feet from the street. A height he might be able to safely warp down from. He readied to cut an opening into the fence when he heard a loud hum. Another airship had appeared, followed swiftly by another missile, screaming through the air. Noctis leaped back as it crashed against the fence and exploded. The force of the blasts was strong enough to push him through the air, where he slammed against a stairway bulkhead.

Noctis groaned as he got to his feet, stumbling as he regained his bearings.

The fence had been properly blasted apart, and the ship readied to launch another round of missiles. Noctis pulled the _Engine Blade_ and growled.

"Come on!" he shouted.

Three missiles fired. Two of them flew past Noctis and exploded safely behind him, but the third came straight at him. Noctis tried to raise the sword and throw it in time, but he winced as his arm screamed out in pain from the previous attack. It looked like it was all over. Noctis braced himself, calling to the royal magic in a last desperate attempt. Before the missile could strike him, his body became surrounded by blue magical energy and his reflexes heightened. For a moment, the world slowed and Noctis was able to easily sidestep the missile, which continued on its path, blasting apart the bulkhead. Noctis stumbled forward, just managing to escape the blast radius.

_This power..._ he thought. _It feels... good. _

Noctis called to the royal magic again and held out his hand, palm open. Within his palm, static rose, increasing in strength until it became a ball of electrical energy. He pulled his arm back and threw it at the airship. As it collided, it burst into an explosion of blue electric magic, and the ship ended in a fiery explosion. Noctis smiled. His father had told him there was great power resting within him. He had trained for warping, but he had never used _this _before. This was incredible. He felt like he could singlehandedly take out the empire.

It was then he remembered he had a phone, a realization which struck him as he stood there, momentarily confused as to what the ringing sound was, before being pulled back to reality. _The phone!_ How could he have forgotten? He pulled the slim smartphone out of his pocket and answered it.

"Noct?" came the familiar and thick accent of Ignis, though it was muffled slightly by the wind and the shouting of people in the background.

"Iggy? Where are you?"

"Gladio and I are at the foot of Caelum Via," he responded. "Where are you?"

"I got thrown to the top of a building nearby," Noctis replied. "I just took out an airship using magic. It was crazy."

"Ah. We saw the explosion from the street. That was you, then. Impressive."

Noctis peered down through the exploded fence. Far far below he saw, surrounded by rushing people, the unmistakable figure of Gladiolus and Ignis. Noctis put the phone away and threw his sword to the street.

Ignis took a quick back step as Noctis suddenly warped before them. Noctis stumbled as he called his sword away. He was starting to feel a little strain as he performed royal magic. He had been unwise with how he was using it, but now he had found Gladiolus and Ignis and he was hoping he wouldn't have to push as hard.

"Where's Luna? Have you seen her?" Noctis asked.

Gladiolus nodded. "She's with a Glaive. Nyx. He's going to lead her out of the city."

"Good. I saw my father's convoy heading toward the citadel," Noctis said. "I was going to head there next."

"My orders are to get you out of the city, Noct," Ignis replied. "We need to go."

"What? No. I'm not leaving him." Noctis walked away, heading in the direction of the citadel.

"Noct, please. We need to get you out of here," Gladiolus said. "I know you're worried about him but we have more pressing matters."

"Your father is with him!" Noctis shouted, not stopping. "I'm not leaving him, Gladio. Ignis. I'm going, whether you are coming or not. And Prompto—" Noctis then stopped and looked back, when he noticed who was missing. "Prompto!" he shouted. "Where is he?"

Ignis shook his head. "I am not sure. Have you tried calling him?"

Noctis quickly pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts, landing on Prompto. He pressed the call option and waited. Noctis nervously muttered as he held the phone to his ear. He impatiently tapped his foot, scanning over the fleeing crowd.

"Do you hear that?" Ignis asked. Noctis shook his head. "Listen. It's faint."

Noctis focused and after a moment, he heard a faint ringing sound. The three made their way to the source of the noise and found a phone lying on the side of the sidewalk, on a front lawn of a building. It was Prompto's. Noctis closed his phone and put it away, picking up his friend's phone.

"Where is he?" Noctis asked, his voice low. Worried.

"I'm sorry, Noct," Gladiolus said, "but we can't worry about him right now."

"That's..." Noctis sighed. "Prompto... be safe..."

They made their way down the street, fighting against the heavy crowds still running and screaming. Noctis wasn't quite sure where they were running towards. Probably to the nearest exit from the city. As they moved, Noctis scanned the crowds, holding out to any hope he might catch a glimpse of his blonde friend. He considered abandoning his current mission to look for him, but he quickly pushed it from his thoughts. Whether it was Prompto, or even Lunafreya, it was his father which mattered most. He had this feeling he needed to find him. Absolutely needed to.

Fire was falling from the skies. Gunfire cracked the night. Screams had become the symphony of this unimaginable violence. If his father fell... If Noctis could even bear to consider such a thing, he knew Insomnia would fall too. It would be the end of Lucis.

As though to pull him from his thoughts, an airship quickly spiraled down toward the street, bouncing wildly between buildings. The three quickly ran, watching the ship as it came dangerously close to falling on them. They dashed under a sky-walk connecting two of the buildings and looked at the ship, which slid to a halt into a pole. It shook a few times, a frightening growl coming from within, mixed with the sound of screeching metal. The back suddenly burst open, and a great and massive beast leaped out onto the street, dark tendrils flailing off of it briefly before absorbing back into it's body.

"What the hell is that thing?" Noctis asked.

Ignis adjusted his glasses. "It appears to be a behemoth; a creature native to the Duscae region of Lucis. But... it looks different. Almost like..."

"Like what?" Noctis asked, as he pulled the _Engine Blade_.

"Like a daemon," Gladiolus said. "They sent me out there for training once. Into Lucis. In the middle of the night, a daemon spawned. The darkness coming off of them... looks a lot like what's pulsating off of that thing."

The behemoth roared as it lashed out and rolled a car into a building. It seemed to take a moment to notice the three, and when it did, it reared back and let out an ear-piercing roar.

"Get ready!" Ignis shouted. He held out his hands, and a pair of daggers appeared in a flash of blue, much like with Noctis. The bleeding magic was what they had once referred to this. Being near Noctis long enough had allowed them a limited access to some of his magic; in particular just the ability to summon weapons. It was as though some of his royal magic had bled through the air and into them. It was not like the Kingsglaive, who obtained their power directly from the king through special rituals. Those powers were ones Noctis was not strong enough to perform for others.

Gladiolus growled and pulled a massive great sword he rested on his shoulder with one hand. The behemoth rushed at them and Noctis tossed his sword, which impaled itself onto a nearby street pole. Noctis appeared quickly after and held onto the handle, dangling as he took a moment to observe the creature.

It moved wildly, spinning as it lashed out. The creature's appearance was absolutely frightening; a seventy-foot-long tiger, with a shark-like dorsal fin and enough teeth and claws to suggest it was not a friendly, cuddly beast.

Noctis felt his arm growing sore and he knew it would be time to join the battle pretty quickly. Ignis was doing his best to stay back and watch the creature for any noticeable patterns. Gladiolus, on the other hand, let out great roars similar to the beast as he rushed and swung his giant blade. The behemoth had thus far managed to avoid these, even swinging its massive paw at him. Gladiolus had been saved by a shield he had managed to make appear in a flash. Noctis grunted and released his hold on the sword. As he was falling, he quickly called it back and threw it at the monster.

Noctis appeared and slashed the beast at it side, and the great creature flailed as it fell over. The distance had amplified Noctis's warp strike, and it hit the monster with the force of a truck. Downed, the other two quickly rushed over and slashed at the monster, managing to create great gashes across its exposed stomach. It didn't bleed though, instead releasing clouds of blackened mist from its wound. The beast roared and returned to its feet. The three leaped back as it seemed to grow stronger. From all of its pores, black energy crackled across its body.

"The hell is holding this thing together?" Gladiolus shouted.

"It seems to grow stronger still!" Ignis replied. "We need to regroup and come up with a strategy."

"And just how do you plan to get away from this thing?" Gladiolus grunted as he brought out his shield again, skidding backwards on his feet as it blocked a clawed paw.

Ignis quickly looked around. The street was narrow and the creature long enough that passing by it seemed impossible, or unlikely, unless one possessed the ability to warp. Noctis did of course, but it would still leave the two of them exposed to the beast.

Noctis warped to the set of stairs leading to the sky-walk, but the beast turned to him, its attention caught by the flashing blue magical energy. It rushed at him and Noctis gritted his teeth, gripping the _Engine Blade_ tightly at its hilt. It came close and Noctis slowly backed up the stairs, stumbling as he couldn't keep his eyes on the step. He fell down, letting out a gasp of surprise as he lost control of himself. The beast growled and gnashed its fangs, saliva dripping from its mouth. Before it could reach him, a shot cracked through the air. From beside the behemoth, a gas pipe burst and exploded a stream of fire on the beast, which rolled sideways from the force of the blast, screeching.

Noctis looked behind him, and saw Prompto holding a gun he twirled on his finger.

"I just saved a prince," he said. "Do I get a reward?"

Noctis returned to his feet and wiped himself off. He looked over at the behemoth, which Gladiolus had managed to skewer in its guts.

"I'll have to consider your reward later," Noctis said. "We need to go."

The two descended to the bottom of the steps and observed the behemoth. It had fallen still, the life taken from it. A thick cloud of darkness fell from its body, and the beast itself slowly dissolved until nothing of it remained. Noctis tilted his head.

"What the hell was that?" he asked.

"I... am not sure," Ignis said. "Research into daemons is minimal in Lucis. No one can say why they recently have started to emerge either. Except... the chosen time may soon be upon us."

"It doesn't matter right now," Noctis said. He turned to Prompto and handed his phone back to him. "Where the hell were you?"

Prompto sheepishly smiled, pocketing his phone. "I got lost in the crowd. They were pushing and shoving like crazy. Then I made my way back toward the hotel, trying to find you guys. I heard all the roaring and stuff and made my way over here. Used the stairs on the other side to sneak my way onto the overpass here and, well. Here we are now."

"Well, I'm glad you're safe," Noctis said. "We gotta get going now. I think dad is in danger."

"Right," Prompto said. He released the gun, his own custom-made design he had commissioned by the Crownsguard, and it vanished in a flash of light.

It wasn't too long ago Prompto was taken through a course on how to fight which at first didn't seem too strange, but now made it clear how much of this was anticipated.

* * *

The violence in the streets continued raging. Airships did battle with other airships, and the results of those struggles began to litter the streets below, a few bringing down chunks of buildings. The bodies of Insomnians, Niflheimians, and Tenebraens were scattered across streets, shops, homes.

Cor had contributed to many of the corpses of his enemies, and he added another he sliced apart with his katana. Another soldier rushing him nearby never made it any closer as a bullet collided with his metal helmet, denting the steel into his skull with enough force to kill him immediately. Cor looked back, at a building behind him whose roof was occupied by Monica. She gave him a thumbs up from behind the scope of her sniper and Cor nodded in response.

Several blocks behind them, their black car lay in a smoldering heap, having been taken down with a rocket from an airship. The convoy heading for the king was far ahead, no doubt nearing the citadel for the end of King Regis's plan. Moments before he had engaged this group of enemies, Cor had received a message from Ignis stating the prince was in their company. This very same phone now lay at his feet, shattered before he could get a chance to look at the next message he received shortly after.

He was not comfortable without access to the phone, and without his eyes on Prince Noctis. He had to decide next where he was heading. Whether to find the prince or go to his king. No doubt Regis would desire Cor to find Noctis, but Cor had no desire to abandon his king. King Regis was trapped inside the citadel, which had been locked down by Niflheim soldiers. Truth be told, no one was sure if he was still alive, but Cor occasionally noticed a member of the Kingsglaive warping around. He didn't like to assume, but as long as they still could use the royal magic, then perhaps the king was still alive.

And so, physically and metaphorically, Cor was at a fork in the road. He was nearly equidistant between Caelum Via and the citadel. The prince or the king? His obligation to do what his king demanded, or his devotion to the protection of the man?

Ultimately, the answer was quite clear: he could not ignore the order of his king. Prince Noctis was to be his charge, and so he chose his destination, and he, and Monica from above, made their way toward Caelum Via. However, he was interrupted from his mission when he heard a whistling cutting through the air.

Cor quickly raised his katana and stopped a knife from connecting with his chest, swiping it out of the air. Before it could hit the ground, it was caught by a man robed in black, appearing in a blue flash of light. From behind him, several others warped in and readied their weapons. Cor narrowed his eyes as he took a step back. The Kingsglaive had betrayed them. Or at least, some of them did, and now Cor knew he would have to cut down some men and women he had considered comrades.


	5. Chapter Four: The Swords of Lucis

Update(s):

1\. Various grammatical errors fixed.

2\. Changed the scene with Lunafreya and the ring to not have Lunafreya explicitly reveal she is carrying it as it didn't make a whole lot of sense for her to.

3\. Added more flavor text of Noctis's thoughts and feelings during the fight scene at the end of the chapter.

4\. Changed the name of the chapter.

* * *

Chapter Four

The Swords of Lucis

Nyx Ulric spun his kukri knife between his fingers as he stood pressed against the brick wall. He looked back at Lady Lunafreya, as she too pressed up against the wall and nodded when she saw him looking over. Behind her stood the shorter Iris Amicitia, whom had been left in his charge by Gladiolus as the attacks began. Nyx nodded back at both of them and returned his attention ahead of him, where the wall came to a corner. Nyx inched over the edge and slowly peered past the corner. Niflheim soldiers occupied the road, aiming their guns all around. A few were speaking to their commander, a large man in a monstrous set of armor Nyx recognized as being enhanced by Magitek, the technology of the empire. This was General Glauca, and he was famous for being brutal and merciless, the most efficient killer in the empire.

From this distance, Nyx couldn't hear what was being said. The conversation was brief, however. The general left in a most spectacular fashion, by leaping into the air with the aid of Magitek, and clearing a three story building. Nyx almost let out an audible curse as he saw the man take off like it was nothing. The power behind Magitek Armor was a hell of a thing to behold, and if he should find himself face-to-face with this particular man, he wasn't sure how he would proceed to take him down.

But he was gone now, and standing in his way were the regular infantry, who possessed no form of Magitek or anything close to royal magic. Nyx tossed his kukri's and appeared in a flash, drop kicking a soldier. As the others opened fire on him, he weaved around, warping and slashing, cutting and stabbing, until his enemies lay in a heap on the concrete streets. Nyx cracked his neck muscles. This royal magic was powerful, but it took a lot out of him. When all was clear, he called out to the two young ladies, who cautiously came out from around the corner, eying the corpses. Lunafreya remained stoic in her expression as her eyes scanned over the bodies, but Lady Iris was pale. She was still so young, and these were sights she would never forget. Nyx recognized the look in her eye, seeing it for what it was as it was a look he had seen reflected in the mirror after his first encounter with warfare.

In his village of Galahd, he had witnessed firsthand an imperial invasion. He was only three years old at the time, but the images were still burned into his retina. The wall protecting Insomnia had once extended across all of Lucis, but as the empire pressed their forces into the land, the walls started to crumble. Galahd was one of the first places to be taken as it was near the outskirts of Lucis. Galahd was a collection of islands and it was the first point of contact with Niflheim in Lucian territory. The village had been beautiful. Abundant with life. The resources acquired there provided the empire great strategic advantage.

Nyx himself had run a bar in Galahd with his best friend, Libertus Ostium. There he had worked with the resistance to fight against the Niflheim invaders who had occupied the village. During a battle, his sister had been killed. Her voice still echoed within his mind in the silent hours of the night. It had been none other than King Regis who had arrived one day and helped drive off the Niflheim troops temporarily. He had recognized Nyx's abilities and invited him and a few others to become members of the Kingsglaive, fighting against Niflheim all across Lucis. Nyx joined without hesitation, and even Libertus inevitably followed.

To this day, a few of the Kingsglaive who were adopted into Insomnia from Galahd still held a little resentment for the king as they perceived he removed the wall protecting the village in order to strengthen protection to Insomnia. This resentment had to have grown since the announcement stating all lands outside of Lucis were to be handed over to Niflheim. The treaty the empire had intended to write and seal in royal blood. With the royal magic on his side, Nyx knew the king was still alive. He wondered what it was exactly keeping the king alive. Were Niflheim waiting for something to happen? No matter. Drautos had told them the _Star of Lucis_ was nearby when Nyx told him he had Lunafreya and Iris in his possession.

"Is that it?" Lunafreya asked, pointing down the street at a sleek black car parked on the side of the road.

"I think so," Nyx said.

"Do you have the keys?" Iris asked.

Nyx produced the keys from his pocket and spun them on his finger.

"I got them from Captain Drautos when the attacks started," he said.

Nyx, Lunafreya, and Iris made their way to the _Star of Lucis_. They entered, with Nyx taking the driver's seat and the other two sitting in the back.

"Buckle up," Nyx said, before turning on the car and pulling away.

They drove through the almost eerily empty streets. Troops from Niflheim seemed like they were withdrawing from the area, and Nyx began to wonder why. It had been a few hours since the invasion had begun, but the city hadn't been claimed yet.

The reason why the troops were leaving the streets became apparent a moment later, when a thunderous quake shook the road, followed by a loud, guttural roar.

"What was that?" Iris exclaimed.

The _Star of Lucis_ climbed up an overpass, and several blocks away, towering over the nearby skyscrapers, a massive brutish hulk of a kaiju roared. From its shoulders, appendages opened up and a massive salvo of fiery energy blasts shot out, raining down on the city.

"Holy shit!" Nyx cried out as he swerved the car out of the way of several blasts tearing the overpass apart. He had managed to narrowly avoid them, pushing the car past a section of the overpass crumbing down as soon as he drove by. "We need to find the quickest way out of the city! I think that thing is a daemon."

Iris was in complete shock, and Lunafreya looked out at the monster as it tore up the buildings around it like a hundred-foot monster from a classic B Movie.

"This will be the end of Insomnia," she muttered.

Nyx quickly took them into a tunnel and raced through to the other end. Right as they were about to reach the end, a large body fell and landed in a crouch ahead of them at the edge of the tunnel. Nyx instantly recognized the Magitek Armor and pressed his foot down on the gas. He roared as the _Star_ sped toward his foe, but before it could bowl him over, General Glauca had caught the car, skidding back a few feet, but succeeding in stopping it. He lifted it off of its wheels and brought it right back down, holding it in place as Nyx tried to accelerate, as well as reverse. It wasn't budging.

"Shit." Nyx said, as he grabbed his kukri's. "I was really hoping I wouldn't have to fight this guy."

He stepped out of the car, twirling his knives.

"Nyx Ulric," the general said.

Nyx was taken aback. "You know me?"

"You do not need to die," the general continued, ignoring the question. "I am here for the princess, and the ring."

"The... ring?" Nyx asked.

Lunafreya exited the car, her hand balled tightly into a fist. The general pointed at her and opened his palm.

"The Ring of the Lucii," the general said. "She has it, do you not, Princess Lunafreya?"

Nyx looked over at her, but she remained stoic. His eyes traveled down her arm, coming to rest on her fist. Noticing Nyx staring at it, she tightened it even further.

"Yeah, that ain't happening," Nyx said, returning his gaze to the general. He held up his kukri and tossed it at the armored brute, readying to warp.

Except he didn't. The knife bounced harmlessly off of the general and fell to the street, and Nyx stood, stupefied. This implication then... the king...

"Yes, Ulric," the general said. "The end has come."

**Night, moments before the arrival of the Diamond Weapon, Imperial Invasion of Insomnia**

Noctis, Ignis, Prompto, and Gladiolus were at the steps of the citadel. Behind them, a trail of Niflheim bodies littered the courtyard. They had battled their way across a large portion of the city, and had even returned to Noctis's home so he could have a change of clothes. Clothed in his high-collared black coat and gratefully removed from the stiff and restrictive royal garments, the prince was well prepared to fight hordes of enemies, as they had until they were standing before said citadel. They were sweating, panting. Noctis had started to lean as he stood. Ignis produced a small bottle and walked over to the prince.

"Noct," he said. "Here."

"An energy drink?" Noctis asked as he took the bottle, spinning it in his palm to observe the label. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"The Glaives have been using this to heal themselves. With the aid of royal magic, the energy drink takes on healing properties. Seals minor injuries and restores lost energy."

Noctis focused, and the blue energy of his royal magic enveloped the potion. It was crushed under the weight of the power, and the energy washed over his body. He felt himself revitalizing and let out a sigh of relief.

"Wow," he said. "Potent."

Ignis offered another to Gladiolus and Prompto, who graciously accepted. Noctis made sure to touch each of the bottles, which shattered and healed them both.

"Ready to go?" Gladiolus asked.

"Ready," Noctis said.

The four slowly ascended the steps. The air had grown silent. Noctis did as he always did and looked up at the roof. The glow was gone. The wall which had once surrounded the city fell some time ago, and the status of the Crystal was unknown.

"Bastards," Gladiolus growled as he too looked up at the roof.

Inside the citadel was as eerily quiet as the outside. The four slowly walked inside, observing their surrounding cautiously. The place looked untouched and unoccupied. Even the convoy which had been moving toward the citadel earlier was nowhere to be seen. Insomnia had fallen silent.

"The signing was set to take place in the senate chamber," Ignis said. "I suggest we make our way there."

At the back of the entrance room was a hallway, and in the hallway an elevator. They rode it for several floors, emerging near the highest floor, where they made their way to the senate chamber. The four entered the room.

The chamber was a place for the king's hand selected cabinet to gather and discuss and debate. There was a long, oval shaped table in the center of the room, and a set of bleachers to the left and right, where people could come and observe. When the four entered the room, they found it mostly empty, save the seat in the back of the room occupied by none other than Emperor Aldercapt.

The old man smiled when he saw the four, and stood from his seat.

"Ah," he wheezed. "If it isn't the fetching Prince Noctis, and his royal retinue. Come to witness the historic moment firsthand then?"

"Where is he?" Noctis growled. He called the _Engine Blade_ and pointed it at the emperor. "Where is my father, you cowardly scum?"

"The great King Regis is upstairs, in his throne room. In the company of General Glauca. I imagine their meeting will be brief."

There came a low rumble from the upper level, faint noises. Sounds of combat muffled by the layer of stone.

"We have to go!" Noctis exclaimed.

"So soon?" Emperor Aldercapt asked. "But you just got here. Have you really no time to chat?" The emperor reached beneath his coat and pulled out a silver gun he aimed at the prince. "I'm afraid your survival would be most unwise, considering the plans I have for my new territory."

Gladiolus pulled his black shield and stepped in front of Noctis. "I'd like to see you try, old man," he growled.

"That shield looks strong," the emperor remarked, amused.

"It is. King's Shield." Gladiolus gave a sneering smile. "Stops bullets with ease."

"This is a Magitek Pistol," the emperor said, brandishing his pistol. "It will eat through Lucian steel like butter. Care to try it out?"

"There will be no such thing," came the voice of King Regis. They all turned to look at the doorway, where the king of Lucis emerged with several glowing swords spinning around him rapidly. The Royal Arms.

Noctis's face lit up as soon as he saw his father, but then he noticed he looked... worn out. The king limped inside, leaning heavily on his cane. The swords moved from around him to the emperor, where they surrounded him, blades pointed straight at his body.

"I take it the general...?" the emperor began.

"General Glauca is taking a nap," Regis said. "He is certainly formidable, but the power of the royal magic—" King Regis stumbled, and Noctis called away his sword and hurried over, catching his father before he could fall. Regis straightened himself out again, and gently pushed Noctis back behind him.

"Would seem to be failing you," the emperor said, mock-finishing his sentence. "Somehow I doubt the general will remain out of commission for long."

Noctis grunted as he helped his father return to stability. He turned to the emperor and pointed an accusatory finger at the man robed in white.

"You!" he cried out. "We gave you everything you asked for! Why did you do this?"

"Please," the emperor said. "What I asked for wasn't everything I wanted, boy. I want the Crystal. I want the Ring of the Lucii. This accursed city of yours stands as a beacon to all that Insomnia believes itself to be the single greatest power in all Eos. No. You build your walls to keep others out and horde power and safety for yourselves. Niflheim intends to unify the world under one banner: ours. Unified under one vision: mine. A vision of a world made whole, and peace ultimately brought to all the land."

"But the price of that peace is blood," Ignis said. "A price you are willing to make others pay."

"Some things are worth the price," the emperor said.

Noctis pointed at the swords surrounding the emperor. "Doesn't seem like you're in much of a state to negotiate."

"I have a feeling the tide will soon change."

There came a rumble. Cracking. Noctis looked up at the ceiling, watching as several cracks started to form, snaking outward from a central point. The point crumbled soon after and a large body fell through, crashing down and splintering the large table in half. General Glauca fell to a crouch, gripping a monster of a sword with both of his hands, bigger than even Gladiolus's own Greatsword. Red energy poured out of the vents all over his grey armored body, and his bestial helm seemed to growl as it scanned the room.

Beneath his hulking form was a mangled corpse, and Gladiolus stiffened, recognizing the garb of the King's Shield barely visible beneath the general. Regis noticed as well, sending a mournful gaze at the corpse of his closest friend. His eyes briefly flitted to Gladiolus, who kept his composure even then, and Regis marveled at the man's stoic dedication to his cause.

Glauca raised his sword in a blur and knocked the royal arms aside with ease, clearing them from the emperor and turning to face them.

Regis summoned the weapons again, but this time he placed it between Glauca and himself and his son.

"Noctis," the king began. "Run. Run now. You stand no chance against him."

"No way," Noctis said. "I've been using the royal magic. I can take him. He's got nothing on that."

"Gladiolus!" Regis barked without looking at the man, his eyes firmly locked on General Glauca.

Gladiolus responded without a word, immediately rushing to pick up Noctis, who protested, wriggling in his massive grip as he was rushed out of the room with Ignis and Prompto.

"Gladio!" Noctis shouted. "No! Get me back in there!"

Noctis called the _Engine Blade _and threw it, but it collided against something in mid-air and fell to the ground before Noctis could warp. A shimmering blue field of magical energy appeared and solidified into a glass-like dome, shutting off access to the room. Regis briefly turned his head and his eyes met Noctis's. It was a brief moment, but it seemed to last a lifetime as Noctis felt the world slow around him as he looked into those melancholy eyes.

Noctis's eyes turned to the _Engine Blade_ waiting on the ground, and he reached out. In a flash, he was crouched over it. Gladiolus growled as he quickly turned to face the prince. Noctis rushed to the barrier and raised his sword, striking against it several times. Helpless, he swung the blade until his arm became sore from the vibrating impacts. He made not a dent in the barrier. He watched, frozen in place, as General Glauca slowly closed in on his father.

"Behold," came the general's unnaturally deep voice, "the King of Lucis. A king who hordes safety within his walls. Tell me, king, where is your safety now?"

Regis raised his free hand, and a powerful surge of lightning struck the general, who slid back on his feet, using his sword to keep his momentum by stabbing it into the ground. He gave out a deep grunt. A smile had somehow managed to creep to the corner of Regis's lips. He lowered his arm and turned away from the general, facing his son one last time.

The moment in time slowed to a crawl. Noctis looked through the thin but powerful layer of magical energy separating him from his father. His hands had been balled into fists, having abandoned his sword to pound helplessly against the energy field. His mouth hanged agape as he stared at the once proud King Regis, reduced to this limping corpse which had nearly abandoned all sense of life. The only light remaining was the glint in his eye when he looked upon his only son. The boy he cared about more than anything in the world. And as Noctis watched his father, Regis gave one solitary nod as a tear ran down the creased valleys of his cheeks.

And then the moment was over. The blade of General Glauca emerged from his stomach, piercing him straight through. The blood sprayed against the liquid glass magical shield, right in front of Noctis. The one ounce of light in his eyes disappeared soon after, and the prince of Lucis watched as his father died, helpless to act. In this one moment, it all came crumbling down. Memories flashed in front of his eyes. The time he had spent with his father as a child, playing out quickly like someone was fast-forwarding through his life. Those moments he never realized were so fleeting. Moments beyond his reach.

General Glauca's voice broke him from his trance. "The ring is not here. Where…" The General straightened up. "The princess. She has it. She met with the king before the invasion began. She is with a Glaive."

"Then retrieve it," said the emperor.

General Glauca looked at the prince through the still-standing barrier. "And what of the boy?"

"The ring is more important," the emperor said. "That barrier isn't coming down anytime soon."

It took Noctis a moment to realize he had been grabbed again. He looked down to see two massive arms around his stomach, and the barrier now quickly escaping his view.

Gladiolus kept running, Noctis tight in his grip over his shoulder. They rounded a corner in the hallway and the view of his father completely disappeared. Noctis was in a daze. All sensation had abandoned him, as though he had left his body to become a silent observer of the world around himself. His tears slowly rolled down his cheek. His eyes were wide, unblinking. His mouth remained agape, even as he bounced in Gladiolus's grip.

They made it to the elevator and Ignis punched in the button for the first floor. Gladiolus still held tightly to Noctis as the elevator began its descent. When Gladiolus finally put Noctis down, it was at the entrance room. He blocked his path to the elevator and grabbed him by the shoulder, leading him to the door. Before they could reach it, a deep rumble vibrated the citadel. Shortly after, several explosions could be heard, rocking the floor of the citadel.

Gladiolus looked to the door and said, "What the hell was that?"

The shaking became more violent. Outside, the skies had lit on fire. Bursts of magical red energy fell from the clouds, bursting against buildings, slowly knocking them to pieces. From above the skyline, a great massive beast was in view, firing salvos of the magical energy from its shoulders.

"What the hell is that thing?" Prompto shouted, as soon as they got a view of the monstrosity.

"Whatever it is, we need to go now!" Gladiolus exploded. "Noctis?" He turned to see the prince with his back turned to the monster, staring up at the citadel. "Noctis! We have to—"

His words were cut off as he was knocked aside by a blast from the great beast. Gladiolus hit a wall so hard, it knocked him unconscious. Before they could react, Ignis and Prompto were hit by another blast knocking them aside. Noctis stood alone.

The raining fire came to an end. Several moments passed, with Noctis still facing the citadel. He watched absently as General Glauca leaped from high above, landing on a rooftop near the citadel and disappearing from view. There came another sound moments after. Metallic crunching.

Noctis turned and saw rows of imperial soldiers aiming their guns at him. Something within the prince snapped. He felt a rising sensation from within as he scanned over them, and hatred followed soon after. His gaze hardened and he took his first step down the stone steps of the citadel. Their guns raised. Another step and they pulled the trigger, a hail of gunfire hitting the stone steps around him. He continued his descent, and as the bullets aim became true, they were stopped before they could hit the prince, colliding against something barely visible in the air around him.

As the bullets collided against the objects, they shimmered briefly in the air, appearing as the illusory weapons once commanded by King Regis, now possessed by Noctis. The prince could not be sure where the power came from, whether it was from within or granted by some external force, but he knew what this was: The Royal Arms. The birthright of the Lucis Caelum dynasty, and now it belonged to Noctis. He waved a hand through the air and the weapons became visible; the blades pointed at his enemy. As the gunfire continued, Noctis spun the weapons freely around his body, stopping the gunfire once more, before grabbing hold of one of the swords, his very own _Engine Blade,_ his eyes landing on a soldier in the midst of the enemy crowd. His violet eyes flashed with a ruby light, and he appeared in the midst of the soldiers in an instant, swinging his weapon to cut his target down.

The other arms appeared, moving and slicing through the air wherever Noctis aimed them. Soldier after soldier tried to close in, tried to shoot him down, but the weapons reached them first. Noctis grabbed a lance and brought it down on an enemy, using the momentum of his fall to keep himself spinning around the lance, firing off a gun he had managed to wrench free from a soldier mid-leap. He tossed the weapon and leaped again, landing atop a soldier whose neck he twisted with his legs. The crunch it produced was satisfying. The body fell forward and Noctis rolled off, summoning the arms to appear in front of a line of soldiers who fired their guns, the bullets ricocheting off of the weapons right back into their bodies. He felt invincible now, and he could see the soldiers beginning to quake in their metal boots.

_Good,_ he thought. They would suffer now. All of them. All the empire would suffer the wrath of Noctis Lucis Caelum.

From above, imperial soldiers rappelled down the side of the citadel from the numerous airships occupying the skyline near the roof of the citadel. Noctis warped to the stairs, and then warped again to the top, without the aid of a warp strike. A group of soldiers made chase, but the weapons appeared again, dropping to the stairs, bowling them over. Noctis warped again, this time taking to the sky, appearing at the side of the building.

As he fell, he kept disappearing and appearing again, dropping upon the imperials rappelling the building. He impaled one with the _Engine Blade_, and a burst of blood exploded from his body, dropping to the ground below. More satisfaction filled the prince. Noctis threw a blade, cutting down the ropes of another, whom fell screaming to the concrete below. One by one, he warped and sliced, taking out all of the soldiers before they could come close to stepping down.

Noctis landed in front of the entrance, and several missiles immediately closed in on him. They exploded, enveloping him in a burst of fire and smoke. For the briefest moment, the imperials holding rocket launchers breathed a sigh of relief, but it quickly faded as the smoke cleared, blown away by the summoned weapons quickly rotating around his body. As Noctis turned to face the still numerous soldiers, he looked to his left and right to see Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto had regained consciousness, each possessing their weapons. With a nod, they rushed down the steps. The empire would taste their fury, and they would know their vengeance in the blood they would soon shed.


	6. Chapter Five: Somnus Finis

Apologize for the delay. I have been busy with schoolwork, so progress is going to be slow. At the very least, here is the conclusion to Part One of the fanfic. If you haven't yet, I updated the previous chapters in the past month or so to add new details and new plot points. Please be sure to look for those if you haven't. Otherwise, enjoy the end of the Battle of Insomnia. Thank you for your patience.

Update(s):

1\. Fixed various grammatical errors.

2\. Added a brief extension to a scene near the end of the chapter.

* * *

Chapter Five

Somnus Finis

As General Glauca closed in on Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, she sent a glance at Nyx's unconscious body sprawled against a metal railing on the side of the road. In her left hand, she clutched the _Ring of the __Lucii_ so tightly the metal started to dig into her skin as she backed away from the bestial man. Glauca pointed his sword at Iris, who stood beside Lunafreya with a tiny knife produced, as though she had any hope she could take this man on. She considered her options. Leap into the car and hope she could drive away? It seemed fairly improbable she would make it inside in time and be able to drive away. She also didn't possess the keys, which were still on Nyx's unconscious person. Turning and running would be fruitless. There was nowhere to go and the Magitek Armor would nab her in an instant.

She wondered then why the general hadn't taken her down yet. The speed at which he had flung aside Nyx was so inhumanly fast it appeared as a blur to the naked eye. She supposed the empire still wanted her alive, and she wasn't going to pretend she wasn't a frail woman. At least physically. General Glauca was a beast of a man, and she knew he could tear her apart. Perhaps he wanted her to willingly come with? How was he expecting it to happen?

"Do not be foolish, woman," General Glauca growled. "Come with me, Lunafreya, or these two will suffer the consequences."

"You want to get to her," Iris cried out, "you'll have to go through me!"

"It would be like passing through a gentle stream," Glauca replied. "They do not need to die. Don't make them suffer."

"As though a monster like you cares if something is suffering," Iris said.

Glauca momentarily halted his advance. "I do not do what I do out of love for violence. I do it to protect what is mine. To reclaim what I have lost. I do it for those I lost in the homeland taken from me!"

"Oh, do abandon those sycophantic words!"

Lunafreya recognized the voice of her brother as it cut through the air behind the general. Glauca turned to see the man, clad in white, approaching them, rapier drawn.

"Ravus," the general growled. "Do your duty and subdue her."

"Unnecessary," Ravus replied. "She will come with me willingly, won't you Lunafreya?"

Lunafreya looked between her brother and the general. Then she looked to Iris and Nyx. She felt the ring pressing into her palm once more as she contemplated her next decision. Ravus extended out an open hand and nodded to her. There was an obligation she felt toward her brother, a man twisted and warped by the events from twelve years ago, when Niflheim invaded Tenebrae and killed their mother. She often wondered why he so willingly accepted the commands of the empire who took her away from them, but he did make it no secret he blamed King Regis for the affair.

"Ravus…" she began. "This is too important, dear brother."

"Enough of this madness, Lunafreya," Ravus hissed. He made his way past the general, sheathing his sword at his hip as he swiftly approached her. Iris made to swipe at him, but he caught her at the wrist and turned her away. Ravus grabbed Lunafreya by her shoulder. His voice became low, almost whispering. "Sister, I beg of you. Relinquish this madness, before it's too late."

"There are greater forces at play here, Ravus," Lunafreya replied, her voice soft, almost devoid of emotion. There were hints of sadness seasoning her words, but she kept it light. "This is more important than us."

Ravus's eyes narrowed. He swiftly grabbed Lunafreya by the wrist and twisted it until her palm opened, and he quickly caught the ring as it dropped.

"No!" Lunafreya shouted, but Ravus quickly turned from her.

He held the ring between two fingers and examined it. From his peripheral vision, he saw General Glauca stirring restlessly.

"The ring, Ravus," the general said. "Hand it over."

"The power of a king," Ravus muttered.

"Yes," Lunafreya said. "And only of a king who has been chosen to wield it."

"Ravus…" Glauca growled.

"And why can that not be me?" Ravus whispered, musing to himself. "After all, I do come from a bloodline chosen by the gods."

Ravus quickly put on the ring. Glauca leapt at him, but before he could reach him, Ravus quickly fell to his knees, screaming. He removed the ring as quick as he could, but his arm had caught fire and he gripped it, rolling and screaming in anguish. The ring rolled away, too quickly for the general to see as he finished his leap, dropping over Ravus's body. Growling, the general looked around, but the ring was nowhere in sight.

Nearby, Nyx Ulric returning to his feet. The Glaive straightened himself up and stared the general down, who tilted his head as he studied him. Nyx raised a closed fist, and gradually opened it. With two fingers, he revealed the ring.

"You've seen what it does, Ulric," the general said, pointing at the now moaning Ravus. "Hand it over."

Nyx scoffed. He turned his gaze to Lunafreya and put on the ring. As he did so, the world around him slowed and slowed until it halted completely. He looked over to see General Glauca in mid-leap, rushing toward him, blade drawn high above his head. Lunafreya's expression was difficult to read, somewhere between shock and sadness. Ravus was frozen in his self-inflicted pain. Iris had yet to recover from being thrown aside by Ravus. The world then began to dim, darkness slowly closing in until his surroundings had been completely covered in shadow. Nyx looked up at the sky, cloudy and stormy.

From high above, several glowing orbs descended from the clouds and came to a stop near the skyline of the city. As they stopped, the glowing pulsated and grew in size, until it started taking a different form. The light expanded in several directions and took the shape of people in unique armor, and Nyx immediately recognized their shapes as matching those of the various statues built around Insomnia. The kings and queens of Lucis.

The first who spoke had a deep male voice. Nyx recognized his armor as belonging to the statue of the Founder King himself, Somnus. "You call upon the wards of this world's future, mortal. And if you come lusting for our power, you must first stand in our judgement."

Nyx, sweating and panting, replied, "How long will you do nothing whilst Insomnia burns?"

Somnus replied, "You do not command us. Yours is not even royal blood. It does not fall to us to guard your city."

Another royal spirit said, "Man is a fool creature, clinging to his past and cowering from his future. Wasting his strength on bygone days."

Nyx gritted his teeth. "And what future are you wards of?"

Somnus replied, "So shortsighted, and cursed never to rise above it."

Nyx scoffed.

"Wait," another said. Nyx looked over at the armored king, recognizing the voice immediately. "I have seen what this brave soul is prepared to do. He, too, seeks to safeguard the future."

"Your majesty..." Nyx gasped.

The first king replied, "Very well, young king. We will weigh your warrior's worth. But our boon does not come cheap. The cost is a life. Whose do you choose?" He pointed at Lunafreya and Iris.

"No," Nyx quickly replied. What sort of kings and queens were these? "To hell with your power. I'm not here for it." He sent a sneering smile at the visage of the Founder King. "I only came to tell you that you are no kings."

There came a growl from Somnus. "Your worth has been weighed and found wanting. Now burn."

Nyx let out a scream as flames suddenly poured from the ring, enveloping his arm. Then, to the surprise of the rulers, it morphed into a laugh.

"You're going to lose your precious ring," he mocked. The smile faded. "But it's not too late to save it."

"You mean to barter for your life," one of the king's said.

"No, no," Nyx quickly replied. "My life is nothing. Giving a future to those who want to see it... is everything."

"Hmm," replied Somnus. "You do not fear, even if that future is doomed."

Another king, one in armor large enough to rival General Glauca, said, "If that sentiment is not false, perhaps you are worthy."

"We will grant you our light," Somnus said, "but know it will set when the sun rises. And the price for it will be your life."

A smile crept to the corner of Nyx's mouth. "You guys drive a hard bargain. Where do I sign?"

Time returned to normal, and Nyx quickly raised his arm, projecting a magical shield and stopping General Glauca's sword. The general bounced back, and Nyx caught him in mid-air with a bolt of lightning he fired from his hand. The general flew back and collided against the barrier on the other side of the road. Nyx leapt to Lunafreya, appearing in a blue flash, and took off the ring, handing it to her. He gave her the keys to the _Star_ as well.

"Get out of here, princess," he said. Nyx looked over at the general, who was stumbling back to his feet. "I'll take it from here."

Lunafreya nodded and ran over to Iris, who was sitting on the ground, slowly picking herself back up. She grabbed her by the hand and helped her to her feet, leading her to the car. Iris nodded and got in the passenger seat. The general looked over at Lunafreya, seeing the ring in her hand. He leapt at her, aided by Magitek, but was met in mid-air by a warp strike from Nyx. The two collided, and spiraled down to the ground, where Nyx quickly launched another bolt of lightning at the general, to pin him down long enough for the princess to begin driving away.

Lunafreya briefly looked over at her brother, who had crawled his way to the metal barrier, and sent him a remorseful look, but he refused to look her way as he gripped his smoking arm. Then she sped down the road, and disappeared around a turn.

"I always knew you were special, Nyx," General Glauca said. "But to wield the ring... even I didn't see that coming. It won't be enough, however. Even the king couldn't stop me."

"I don't need to stop you," Nyx replied. "All I have to do is slow you down."

A roar ripped through the air, and Nyx looked over to his left. Across the rooftops, the gigantic monster had begun to move again.

"The Diamond Weapon will level the city," the general said, pointing at the creature. "They will not make it out alive."

"Now is as good a time as any!" Nyx shouted to the sky. The action confused the general, but he quickly felt the ground rumbling. He looked to his right, at a statue of one of the kings of Lucis, and staggered when he saw its head beginning to turn.

* * *

Noctis's endless rage had taken him once more to the roof of an airship, where he delivered a kick to an imperial soldier, sending him flailing to the street far below. As he moved from airship to airship, taking out whomever occupied them, Noctis moved closer and closer to his actual target. Several blocks away, the gigantic beast continued the barrage of energy from its shoulders. It rained fire on the city, and Noctis intended to find a way to put it down.

It was then that something most unexpected happened. Noctis warped from an airship to the shoulder of the statue of a king of Lucis, Calmentis the Clever. The statue of the king with the massive crossbow suddenly started rumbling, and Noctis was stunned as he gripped a groove in its shoulder, and watched the head of the statue turn to look at him. And then, he was struck with a realization.

_The Old Wall! _Noctis thought. _But that must mean... could my father...? _Noctis remembered that his father didn't have the ring when he died. What was it the general had said? _Lunafreya__! She has it!_

The statue of Calmentis raised its massive crossbow and aimed it at the giant daemon. It fired a bolt the size of several buses, and as the bolt connected with the beast, causing it to reel back and let out a massive roar, Calmentis warped toward it. Noctis found himself falling toward the ground, so he flung his sword and rolled onto the roof of a tall business skyscraper. Noctis dashed forward and leaped onto a railing attached to a massive neon sign that read _Insurance Insomnia_. The monster was engaging with two of the statues of the Rulers of Yore, as Crepera the Rogue flashed in from behind, spinning and slicing with her massive shuriken. A large chunk of the beast's back was knocked off, and crashed onto a small building below, leveling it. The beast stopped a blow by Calmentis, grabbing the statue by its arms. It lifted it up and spun, throwing the statue clear over several buildings, straight at Noctis.

The prince flung his weapon and warped onto the body of Calmentis as it ragdolled through the air. Noctis then flung his sword again, impaling it onto a rooftop that he appeared on shortly after. He heard a great roar and looked out at the giant daemon, which had swung its massive arm and knocked over Crepera. The statue of the queen attempted to quickly return to its feet, but the daemon grabbed it by the head and twisted it. The stone cracked and shattered. The daemon raised its prize and threw it near Noctis. The prince braced, but it passed over the building he was still hanging from.

He heard a loud crash, followed by an even louder one that shook the building he was dangling from. His arm lost its grip and he started to fall. Noctis looked skyward and aimed his sword above another rooftop. He appeared there in a flash and tumbled through the air, grunting as he hit the rooftop. He quickly returned to his feet, and saw Calmentis returning to its feet as well, the crumbling remains of Crepera's head rolling off of its chest. The statue let out a roar and aimed its massive crossbow. A flashing streak of energy shot out of the weapon, passing over Noctis's head. The prince watched as it struck the monster, which reeled back, falling against a skyscraper for support. The building proved incapable of handling the pressure, and it collapsed, with the monster flailing as it roared and fell to a heap that sent out a shockwave so great it smashed several windows on nearby buildings.

For a moment, there was little noise but the crashing of buildings. Thick clouds of dust consumed the monster as it seemed to fall still. Noctis looked back at the statue of the king, and as they met eyes, he found himself dipping his head forward in respect. To his surprise, the statue returned to gesture. A small smile crept into the corner of Noctis's lips. He looked around. With the beast quelled, he wondered where to head next? He had lost track of his friends in the chaos. Noctis made to pull the phone from his pocket, but a familiar flash of blue caught his eye in the skies above a distant building. The Royal Magic.

Noctis squinted. Two figures were dancing through the air, but he couldn't really make out their details. One looked like he was warping around, but the other seemed to be aided by flashes of red light surrounding their body. It looked much like the energy that poured off of General Glauca before he leapt to the skies. Noctis called his sword again and reeled his arm back, tossing it toward the two combatants. It took several warps across several rooftops before he was close enough to make out their details. Noctis was right about one of them being General Glauca, but he didn't recognize the other. Only their garb, which belonged to the Kingsglaive. Yet, despite the death of his father, he was using the magical gifts of his royal line.

Noctis rolled onto the roof of a nearby skyscraper, the blue flash of the Royal Magic dissipating off of him as he stood and walked to the edge, wondering how best to enter this fray. He didn't need to wonder for long, as he saw General Glauca look his way, his bestial helm seeming to double-take as it turned toward Noctis. A flash of anger threatened to burn through Noctis's chest as he looked upon his father's killer. He readied to warp at him. The general then immediately diverted his attention from the Kingsglaive to the prince. Glauca kicked off of the side of a building, and used the momentum to leap toward the prince, sword raised high. The Magitek energy fired out from engines on his back in a crimson explosion, and it increased his momentum tenfold. Noctis called his sword, but feared he hadn't the time to bring it up as the world seemed to slow. His arm rose slowly. Too slowly. He gritted his teeth as the general came so close Noctis could feel the heat from his presence.

There was a flash of blue. General Glauca's sword had been stopped before it could fall upon Noctis. The Kingsglaive soldier had appeared and stopped the attack, blocking the massive sword with a small curved kukri knife. The man grunted, and somehow managed to avoid dropping to his knees. All the while, the blue energy pulsed and engulfed his body. The magic was strengthening him. He shoved the general back and raised a free hand, firing a solid bolt of lightning that struck the general square in his chest plate, pushing up and over the edge of the roof. The general roared as he fell several stories.

Noctis took several steps back. Residual bolts of electricity snaked along the Kingsglaive's arm before crackling away into nothing. The soldier turned and looked at the prince, quickly recognizing royalty as he dropped to a knee.

"Your highness," he said.

"Who are you?" Noctis asked.

The soldier slowly stood back up. "Nyx Ulric. Kingsglaive."

"Nyx..." Noctis said. "You saved my life. How are you doing all this?"

Nyx held up a hand and showed Noctis a finger, which looked charred. "Your father's ring. It was with the Lady Lunafreya. Actually, it hopefully still is. I asked those old kings of yours for some temporary power."

Noctis looked around, eyes falling upon several of the statues of the rulers of yore, as they stood like sentinels, awaiting another attack.

"Luna… is safe?" Noctis asked.

"I can't say for sure," Nyx said with a sigh. "She left with your old car, and I've managed to keep Glauca away from her. I'm glad you're still alive, highness."

Glad wasn't something Noctis was currently capable of being. He nodded all the same and pulled his phone from his pocket, signaling to Nyx that he would be making a call. Noctis found Ignis in his list and dialed him.

"Hello?" came Ignis's voice, faint.

"Iggy," Noctis said. "Where are you guys?"

"Not far from you," Ignis replied. "We saw you warp to a rooftop and are nearly there ourselves."

"Alright. I'll come down to the street and we can rendezvous. I found a member of the Kingsglaive."

Ignis's voice went low. "Noctis. The Kingsglaive have betrayed us." Noctis looked at Nyx, who returned a sideways glance. "We found Cor as well, engaged in a duel with the Glaive. Some of them have been working with the empire."

"Got it," Noctis said. He hanged up the phone and looked over at Nyx. He might have doubted the man's intentions, but to use the power of the ring must have meant that he obtained the trust of the kings. Nyx had yet to prove he wasn't to be believed. "My friends are down at the street below. I'm going to join them."

Nyx nodded. "I'll come with you."

Noctis walked to the edge of the roof and looked down at the street. Among the various pieces of building and car, Noctis saw three figures waving to him. Noctis waved back and called his sword, which he tossed at the street. He appeared before them in a flash. Nyx flashed in shortly after, and the three friends nearly fell back from shock.

"Royal Magic?" Ignis asked. "How?"

"The Power of Kings," Noctis said. "The Kings of Lucis deemed him worthy."

"Temporarily," Nyx said. "When the sun rises... well... I've done my service."

The four were silent as they looked Nyx in the eyes. But Nyx was not afraid. He returned a determined gaze. Noctis turned his gaze back to his friends, and then tilted his head when he noticed someone was missing.

"I thought you said you found Cor?" Noctis asked.

"We did," Prompto replied. "He and Monica both. When the giant monster and the statues were fighting, we ended up getting separated. Haven't been able to find him since."

"Right," Noctis replied. "We should hurry out of here."

_Bang!_

The five looked down the street, a few feet ahead, where General Glauca landed, growling as ever. He swung his massive sword above his head and slammed the edge into the ground, where it cracked the street.

"Prince Noctis," the general growled. "My blade is still stained with the blood of your father. When I have cut you down, I will have severed the line of Lucis once and for all."

"_If_ you cut me down," Noctis growled back.

"Are you ready for this?" Gladiolus asked. "This man is no joke."

Noctis responded by calling forth the Armiger. The swords of the Rulers of Yore spun around him, shimmering in the air. Nyx flashed his kukris into his grip. The other three called forth their weapons as well.

"Let's do this," Prompto said.

"For my father," Noctis growled.

As they charged, Glauca spun the sword over his head again. Gladiolus charged past the group and raised his greatsword, in time to block a tall slash. He pushed the sword back and used the momentum to spin and deliver a kick to the general, but the man didn't fall. He took a few steps back, but his composure remained. He laughed beneath his bestial helm.

"A paltry attack, Shield of the King," he said.

"I will avenge my father," Gladiolus replied, swinging his blade again. It was stopped completely by the general's sword. The two pushed their swords against each other.

"You will avenge nothing," the general growled. Red energy poured from his back and he used the power to push Gladiolus back, who tumbled to the road.

Noctis dashed past his shield and tossed his sword, warping to the general. Glauca knocked the sword aside with his own and caught Noctis as he appeared by his throat. He lifted the wriggling prince and slammed him into the ground. As he lifted his blade to bring it down on Noctis, the floating Royal Arms appeared and attacked the general, knocking him back.

_Bang!_

Noctis looked up and saw the monstrous Diamond Weapon had returned to its feet. The statues of the Rulers of Yore sprang to life again and began their assault on the monster. Chaos filled the night. All around them, the streets were torn apart by the titanic battle between the statues and the monster. The five attacked General Glauca, Noctis and Nyx flashing in and out with the aid of Royal Magic while the others swung great swords, weaving around with sharp knives, and fired their pistol from a distance. The general was holding his own against all of them in an impressive display of power.

"The hell is with this guy?" Gladiolus shouted through gritted teeth.

"The Magitek Armor is protecting him from all manner of attack," Ignis shouted after flipping backwards to avoid a large horizontal slice. "We need to get behind him. The energy is released from his back. If we can cut off the engines, he will be slowed considerably."

"And just—ahh—how do you plan on doing that?" Prompto shouted while avoiding a large chunk of building that crashed near him from either a statue or the great monster. He couldn't tell.

"Noctis!" Ignis shouted to the prince still warping back and forth across the street. The prince warped to a light post and hanged off of it, looking at his retainer. "Get behind him. Cut off the engines to his suit."

"And just how do you expect me to do that?" Noctis asked. "He is very fast!"

General Glauca leaped from the street to the side of a building, and then kicked off, landing on the roof forty feet up. He looked down at the five of them, resting his sword on his shoulder.

"Damn!" Ignis shouted. "He wants us to come to him. Only Noctis and Nyx can get up there."

"Well, you can't call him stupid," Gladiolus muttered.

Noctis landed back on the street and looked over at his friends.

"Iggy, get the _Regalia_." He took the keys out of his pocket and tossed it to his retainer. "It's parked near Caelum Via, hopefully in one piece."

Ignis caught the keys and asked, "What will you do?"

Noctis looked over at Nyx. The Kingsglaive warrior was twirling his kukri knife, and he nodded at Noctis as he tore his gaze away from the general.

"We are going up, of course," Noctis replied. "We'll take care of the general. You guys get our ride out of here."

"I'm not leaving you," Gladiolus barked.

"What are you going to do from down here, Gladdy?" Noctis asked. "Help them get there safely. I'll be fine, trust me."

With that, Noctis warped to the roof along with Nyx. Gladiolus growled and turned to the other two, and they nodded, running off to find the car. On the rooftop, Noctis rolled as he finished his warp, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly as he watched the general do another leap back, landing without bending his knees as though the laws of gravity need not apply to him. Nyx stood beside the prince, both of his weapons tight in his gloved hands. The two nodded at each other.

"I saw we engage from both sides," Nyx said. "I'll attack from the front, you move behind."

Noctis nodded, and the two engaged the general.

Several blocks away, the statues warped around. Five of them battled the Diamond Weapon, swinging the stone replicas of their royal arm to break chunk after chunk off of the beast. Daemonic energy surrounded the monster as it unleashed blast after blast that leveled nearby buildings. It was inevitable. Insomnia would go out in a blaze of glory.

From between these titanic figures, three small figures commenced in their own battle. Noctis, Nyx, General Glauca; The three of them leaped from sword to shoulder to rooftop to street to sky. Every strike landed like cracking thunder, flashes of blue and bursts of red igniting the large plumes of smoke that erupted around the colossal beings battling around them.

Surrounded by the arms of his ancestors, Noctis deftly blocked every swing of the general's sword, but the general never faltered in his guard. Their strategy of getting behind him wasn't working as he was too well aware of his own weaknesses. Instead, it had become a battle of attrition. Piece by piece, they knocked off chunks of the general's armor. Parts of his face were becoming exposed. An eye. His chin. The general's rage increased two-fold with every nick he received.

The battle raged on for what felt like hours. Days. Years. The Diamond Weapon crashed, finally defeated, its body dispersing into black and red miasma. The statues of the Rulers of Yore gathered around a building, watching the battle between the three humans.

Nyx warped in, finally managing a strike to the general's back. The general roared as a line was cut, and red liquid sprayed out. His engines were damaged. He was grounded. Nyx's attack ended with a roll, and he collapsed against the edge of the roof, exhausted. Noctis was limping. He had been pushed as far as he could go. The Royal Arms, incorporeal as they might have looked, had started to feel heavy. Keeping them in the material world took a great deal of strength.

He raised an open palm he aimed at the general and sent his Royal Arms. The general swung, but he was slowed. He managed to knock all but one weapon aside, the blade of Noctis's father, which cracked the general's bestial helmet apart. It fell apart into two pieces, which crashed to his feet. His face was exposed and Noctis looked into the blue eyes of his father's murderer. His eyes flared as a rage boiled through him, strengthening his aching muscles.

"Captain Drautos," he spat.

The captain chuckled, but it was humorless. He nodded and looked over at Nyx, who stared back at him in horror.

"Indeed, your highness," Drautos said.

"You betrayed him!" Noctis shouted. "After we took you in and... you killed Lunafreya's mother and..."

"These are all true," Drautos said. "My loyalty is to my homeland, Noctis. You father threw my homeland to the wolves, as it did yours, Nyx." He turned to his former soldier. "I wanted you by my side, Nyx, but I knew your loyalties had changed."

Nyx shook his head as he returned to his feet. "No, captain. I _am _loyal to my homeland. It was Niflheim that invaded and killed our people."

"When you have seen what I have seen, Nyx, you will know that Niflheim is the lesser of both evils," Drautos calmly replied.

"Lesser!" Nyx shouted. He waved his arms around at the burning city. "This violence? These innocent people lost today? I held you in the highest regard once, captain. A figurehead of strength. Look at you now!"

"I fight for a future, Nyx," Drautos growled.

"So do I," Nyx replied in kind.

He threw his kukri and Drautos raised his sword to block it. Nyx threw his second knife behind the general and warped behind him as the general stopped the first. The Kingsglaive leaped onto his back and stuck the knife into the side of the general's neck. Drautos gurgled. Nyx dropped off, falling backwards. Drautos stumbled forward, gripping his throat. Blood seeped through his fingers as he looked at Noctis. The prince's expression was unforgiving. And thus, Drautos collapsed and died.

Above the skyline, the sun had started to rise, its crimson glow piercing the receding darkness as a funeral pyre erupting in the horizon. Nyx looked over at the light and smiled. Noctis approached the man and crouched over him as the Kingsglaive soldier rested on his elbows. His skin started to crack apart, and Noctis gritted his teeth, grasping his shoulder.

"It's okay, highness," Nyx said, coughing a small plume of dust. "I know what I signed up for."

"I'll remember you, Nyx Ulric," Noctis swore.

"Good," Nyx replied. "Go, highness. You have to live. You can't let them get away with this."

"They'll pay." Noctis stood back up and nodded. "That is for damn sure. Thank you, Nyx."

Nyx smiled. He groaned as he held up his hand to the prince. Noctis tilted his head, confused.

"Take it," Nyx groaned. Noctis looked at his hand. A kukri knife was clutched in his shaking grip. "It's very well made. It will serve you better now then it'll serve me. Be sure to bloody up some imperials with it, eh?"

Noctis nodded and took the knife. "I'll be sure the empire will get their due."

Nyx smiled and Noctis watched as he completely faded from the world. His ashes danced into the air. The prince looked over at the statues of the rulers, and lamented as he saw them crack apart and crumble. The dust had settled, and the Battle of Insomnia was over.

* * *

Noctis leaned on the metal railing of the overpass. The sun had risen over the horizon, its beams revealing the smoldering ruins of the once shining city. A teardrop fell from his cheek to the grey steel of the railing. Behind him, Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto looked out at the pyre. The burning ruin of their home. Within all four was a singular thought.

"They will pay for this," Noctis growled.

"A hundred thousand-fold," Ignis replied.

Noctis pushed off of the railing and turned to his three companions. They entered the _Regalia_ and drove out of the city, to face the coming tides of darkness and violence.

END OF PART ONE

* * *

Thank you for reading all that you have so far. With the first part done, it might be some time before the next chapter posts, but rest assured that I still plan to post more. I am working on the next chapter, and also on routing out what the rest of the story will be. Thank you for your patience and your feedback. It is very much appreciated.


	7. Chapter Six: Aftermath

Hello! It's been a while, but I am working on where I'm taking the rest of this story. This chapter is a little shorter and might be expanded later. Thanks for reading!

* * *

PART TWO

LIVING LEGENDS

Chapter Six

Aftermath

Cindy Aurum blew on the white mug filled with boiling hot coffee as she entered the large and empty garage at the Hammerhead Service Station. The day was hot, as ever under the oppressive sun of the Leide Region of Lucis. It had rained about half an hour ago, and the quickly evaporating water made the air quite humid. With her free and gloved hand, she lifted her orange cap from her wavy blonde hair, the sticky strands fighting to grip onto the hat until it was far enough away that it fell back down, splatting against her forehead. Inside the garage, her grandpa was sitting on a lawn chair. Normally he'd bark out some crotchety remark about how young people were ruining their world, but on this day, he did no such thing. He was in mourning.

When she handed him the mug, he took it with his wrinkly hands and set it aside on a black toolbox next to him. Next to the mug was a newspaper partially covered with a red wrench. Beneath it, the headline read: INSOMNIA FALLS. Cindy had never been to the crown city, but the marvelous sights had been described to her by her "paw-paw," who tried his hardest to make it sound not as grand as it actually was. It was difficult to make Insomnia not sound amazing.

The old man rubbed his forehead with his hand and let out a sigh. The last time he described King Regis to her, he complained about him being lazy and a terrible friend, but the way he mourned now made it seem as though he had been lying to himself. King Regis had been his best friend, and he was dead now. Cindy placed a hand on his shoulder and gave her grandfather a gentle pat. She wasn't sure what to say, so she said nothing, leaving him to continue his silent mourning.

As she walked away, she looked out past the large open bay doors of the garage, and was alarmed as she saw what looked like a group of people pushing a black car. An itch crept to the tips of her fingers. She hadn't gotten a chance to work on anything yet that morning, and she was looking forward to opening up the hood of that thing. It looked fancy. It looked… She frowned. There was something familiar about it. Cindy turned her head to look at the wall to her left, where they fell upon a picture tacked to a board. A photo of the same black car.

"Paw-paw!" she exclaimed.

"Hmmm?" The old man looked up at her.

"It's the car. _That _car." She pointed at the photograph.

Cid narrowed his eyes. "So, they actually made it…"

What hadn't he told her was happening? Cindy frowned as she looked at the four men that now sat exhausted around the black car, each of them clad in black. The only one that wasn't resting was a black-haired young man, who looked out past the road in front of the service station, to a large and jagged rock formation in the distance. There was something familiar about this person, much the same as the car. She looked back at the photo, at the man leaning against the black car next to a much younger Cid. They looked somewhat similar, though this young man had much more layered hair.

That photo was of the king. Which meant...

"Go find out what they need, Cindy," Cid's gruff voice said. "I'll be out in just a second."

"Right," Cindy replied.

Near the _Regalia,_ Noctis looked out past the distant horizon of the arid desert region of Leide. The region was flat, save a few mountainous rock formations jutting out of the hardened dirt and the large pieces of machinery he had seen jammed in. The land was pretty dead, scarred from the ancient war that took place there between Lucis and Niflheim, when they first battled when Noctis's father was still a boy. Back then, King Mors ruled Lucis. Noctis knew little of the man, who died before he was born. Only the stories he had heard from his retainers as well as whatever tales his father had indulged him with. Cor also occasionally told him a few stories, as he had been his shield back when the man was merely fifteen years old.

The more Noctis saw of Leide, the more he saw of a world seemingly abandoned by Lucis, far before the events of the previous night.

This didn't really matter to him though. He had more pressing problems now. Though Noctis's muscles were undeniably sore from the events of the night as well as from pushing the car, he ignored all of the pain, focusing the entirety of his thoughts on what was to come next. Once the _Regalia _was repaired, he planned to assault the empire as quick as possible. The thought of rest was absent from his mind. They needed to pay.

"I recognize this car," came a voice thick with the drawl of a country girl. Noctis turned to see Cindy approaching.

The blonde mechanic was dressed in a manner that simply wouldn't fly in the crown city. That much exposed skin... He shook his head and looked away again.

"I thought you might," Ignis replied. "It was constructed here, according to the manual. By a Master Cid."

Cindy nodded. "That would be my paw-paw."

"Your paw-paw?" Gladiolus replied. "So that would make you...?"

"Cindy," she replied, raising a hand to her chest. "Cid's grease monkey granddaughter."

All the while, Prompto had bolted to his feet, mouth nearly hanging agape as he stared at the blonde mechanic. He scooted next to Noctis and leaned in close.

"Wow," he whispered. "What do you think, Noct? She's pretty."

"Does that really matter right now?" Noctis growled back.

Prompto scratched the back of his head. "I... guess not. Sorry."

"Roll 'er in while I'm still young!" The two turned to see old man Cid hobbling over. He ran a finger along the sleek black frame of the hood. "The _Regalia._ She's a custom-built thing of beauty. The last car I had specially commissioned before I retired. A special request from Reggie." He looked away from the car, his gaze crawling up Noctis. It ended when they met eyes, and Cid narrowed his. "Prince Noctis. Heh. Prince... like they took your old man and kicked the dignity out of him."

Noctis raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"You got a long way to go, son, and that slack jaw's getting you nowhere." Cid shook his head. "You're all that's left of him now. Don't disappoint, son."

Noctis took a step toward Cid. "Do you have any idea what I just went through?" he shouted. "What I've seen? I watched him... I..."

Cid's expression softened. "Hold yerself together, boy. You boys!" Cid pointed at the other three members of Noctis's party. "Roll it in." He looked back at Noctis. "Come with me, Noctis."

While Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto pushed the car to the garage, Cid led Noctis to a chair outside of the garage. He slowly took a seat and let out a weary sigh, as Noctis stood next to him, arms tightly crossed. Cid looked past him, to the horizon.

"Well?" Noctis impatiently asked.

"I received a phone call from Cor the Immortal earlier today," Cid said. "Well, from some woman named Monica, who relayed Cor's message to me. He said that if you boys made it out of the city, you'd come straight here. And when you did, to give you this."

Cid reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. He handed it to the prince. Noctis took a hold of it and examined the silver item. It was a little battered and appeared to have been used for a long time. Cid reached into another pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He handed this to Noctis as well. Noctis unfurled the paper and saw it was a map of the region.

"What do you want me to do with this?" he asked as he folded it up and put it in his pocket.

"There's an outpost nearby, where the hunters have gathered," Cid explained. "Near that outpost is a royal tomb. You'll see both on the map. That key opens the door. Cor said that once you're inside, you'll know what to do."

Noctis narrowed his eyes as he examined the key. He shook his head. "Raiding a tomb is useless to me. I need to know where the empire is."

"Don't be a fool, boy," Cid coughed. "You really think you can just march in and take them all on?"

"I've got the Royal Magic," Noctis growled. "I can take them all on."

"Oh, really?" Cid replied. "If that were true, then... why did they win?"

Noctis's eyes widened. He clenched his fist, threatening to raise it. How dare this man say such a thing? Who was he to have the gall?

"You have no idea—" Noctis began.

"Don't be a fool, son," Cid interrupted. "Go to the royal tomb. Cor is waiting there. You will find power there. The power you need to face the coming days. Once we get this car fixed, head there."

"Fine," Noctis replied. He made to walk away.

"Your father was my best friend, you know," Cid said. Noctis stopped, but he didn't turn back around. "We spent years ignoring each other. Got into a big fight once. Can hardly remember what it was about, but... well... Don't let anger ruin your friendships, boy. Just a piece of advice."

"Thanks," Noctis dryly replied. He walked off to meet with his three friends.

The four ended up at Tanka's Pit Stop, a small diner near the garage. They took to a booth, Noctis sitting next to Prompto, and Gladiolus and Ignis on the other side. Noctis sat next to the window, straight across from Ignis. The purveyor, Takka himself, arrived with four dishes, each with burgers and fries strewn upon them. He placed it in front of the boys, but Noctis didn't turn to look at his food, instead occupying his attention at the window outside.

"Mmm," Prompto noised. "This is a crazy tasty burger! Better than the shake shack!"

"Yeah," Gladiolus grunted. "It's not bad."

He took a generous chomp, clearing most of the burger. Prompto frowned as he observed Noctis silently staring out the window. He was struggling to find something to say to his best friend and wondered if Noctis would even be interested in anything he might say.

"Noct?" Ignis asked. Noctis's attention remained elsewhere. "Noct?" Ignis asked louder.

"Hmm?" Noctis said as the words registered, turning to look across at his retainer.

"What's the plan?" Ignis asked.

"We get the car fixed and we go to the outpost," Noctis replied. "Like I already said."

"So, your plan is to set out and get this power from the royal tomb, correct?" Ignis asked.

Noctis let out a sigh. "Yes."

"And you plan to do this on an empty stomach?" Ignis continued, gesturing at the untouched burger in front of the prince.

Noctis rolled his eyes. "I don't feel hungry."

"I know, Noct. But trust me, you are. Eat, or you'll regret it later."

Noctis grumbled, taking the burger to his lips and biting down. As he felt the contents drop to his stomach like a pebble dropping into an empty well, he relished in the feeling both painful and relieving. He took another bite, so hungry that he didn't notice he forget to take the offensive vegetables off.

Ignis placed some napkins in front of him, trying to look stern, but clearly relieved Noctis was eating again.

A few booths away, a man and a woman were chatting.

"It's crazy, isn't it?" the woman asked. "I mean, you can still smell the smoke from here! To think... the capital is gone..."

"Did you see the newspaper?" the man replied. "Apparently the Kingsglaive turned against the king, and they weren't alone. A bunch of people from towns lost to the empire all came together and led the revolution. I guess they were gunning for both the king and the emperor, but they only got the king."

"Jeez," the woman sighed. "All those people, gone... How can they do that?"

"Do you really feel that sorry for them?" the man asked. "I mean, yeah, the innocent people gone is bad, but... Isn't this kinda the king's fault? When push came to shove, he put the wall around Insomnia, not Lucis. He left us to the wolves."

"What are you saying? The empire is better?"

"I'm saying, we don't know now. Hopefully."

"Are you really sure you should be saying things like that?" the woman muttered, looking around.

"Please," the man sighed. "I'm not the only one who thinks this. I think support for the crown has been pretty minimal in these parts for some time."

"What about Lady Lunafreya?" the woman whispered. "She... Apparently she didn't make it out alive."

"If that's true..." the man trailed off.

Noctis squeezed his burger so hard, the contents oozed out over his fingers and onto his plate. Ignis frowned and reached over with another napkin, placing it beside his plate on the yet untouched stack.

"It's unconfirmed," he muttered.

It did little to comfort Noctis, who held the burger as though unaware of the mess he made.

He gave a passive "mmhmm."

Gladiolus grunted. "A revolution," he growled. "The empire is now spinning it so that they were also the targets of the revolution. A revolution they helped fuel. Bullshit."

"Simple propaganda," Ignis replied. "In this way, they look innocent. It makes it sound like the king was killed by his own people rather than the empire themselves. In the end, they'll win the sympathy of the people and make their transition to controlling Lucis all the smoother."

"Snakes," Prompto muttered.

Prompto looked at his sullen friend and at the other patrons of the diner. A pall hanged heavy in the air and its effect was quite oppressive. He thought of ways he could comfort his best friend, but nothing he thought of seemed like it would do the trick. How does one console someone who has lost almost everything?

"There y'all are," came the southern drawl of Cindy.

She closed the door to the diner and stepped over to the group.

"An update on the car?" Ignis asked.

"Serpentine belt is snapped," she replied. "The part will come in tomorrow. I'm afraid you'll have to hang tight for now."

"What?" Noctis suddenly exclaimed. "I have places I need to—"

"I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to wait," she quickly replied. "I know it isn't ideal, but…"

"I thought you were a mechanic," Noctis snapped. "How can you not have the part in?"

"I'm sorry, but we ran out!" she snapped back. "Our shipments didn't come in today because of the attacks. So, you're gonna have to hang tight. Yelling at me won't change anything."

"What a load of bull," Noctis growled.

"You know we're doing this for free, right?" In a huff, she departed.

Gladiolus growled.

"Don't be a brat," he said to Noctis.

"Can it, Gladio," Noctis growled back.

"Hey, buddy," Prompto cut in. "We're on your side and—"

Noctis suddenly stood, physically demanding Prompto to let him out of the booth. The blonde, startled, nearly fell out of his seat as he quickly scrambled to his feet. Noctis shoved past Prompto and quickly left the restaurant.

Ignis and Gladiolus glanced at each other and then at Prompto.

"I'll go after him," Prompto said.

"No," Ignis replied. "Leave him be for now. Let him cool off. He's been through a lot."

"We all have been," Gladiolus said with a heavy sigh.

Prompto sent a concerned gaze at the door and gave a silent apology to his friend.

Outside, Noctis moved as though he intended to break the ground with his footsteps. As he walked past the gas pump, he punched the steel casing, ignoring the sudden protest his knuckles gave at the inconsiderate act. He felt helpless, wondering what it was he needed to do to fill this void inside of him. He felt rage and sorrow churning within, unsure which motivated him. He was ready to boil over, and he knew it was wrong to explode at his friends, but he convinced himself _they_ were wrong for suggesting he should feel any different than he felt at that moment.

"Damn it!" he cried out.

Past the gas pumps, he could see the flat and brown horizon of Leide. Desert as far as the eye could see. Noctis had an idea.

He pulled the map from his pocket and unfurled it, looking at the part marked for him. The outpost nearby. It didn't look too far on the map and he knew Cor was waiting there. Waiting with the answer he was looking for. Waiting with the key to the power he could use to burn the empire down.

Noctis looked back at the diner but quickly looked back, shaking his head. He didn't need them right now. They could stay here and rest. They would need it after the tumultuous events of the previous day.

And so, Noctis left Hammerhead Station alone, heading east to the hunter outpost.


	8. Chapter Seven: Horrors of the Night

Time permitting, the next few chapters should be able to roll out pretty quickly here, as a reward for your patience. Thanks for reading!

Update:

I thought to add this: I've come up with a terrible flu and am still recovering. Between that and Uni, updates have pretty much halted. Once this sickness has cleared up, I'll try to get the next chapter posted as soon as possible. I'm about halfway through it at the moment. Thanks for reading and thanks for your patience!

* * *

Chapter Seven

Horrors of the Night

With a final twist, the last bolt was secured on the purple and white Magitek arm now attached to Ravus Nox Fleuret. With the deed done, he pushed the man working his arm aside and observed the clawed hand.

"Beautiful, is it not?"

The voice that spoke was aged, decrepit, and deep.

Ravus looked up to see the wrinkled visage of Verstael Besithia, smiling his iconic cruel smile. The man approached the former prince of Tenebrae and grabbed the arm, raising it to admire it himself. Ravus hissed and pulled the arm back.

"Do not touch me, Verstael," he said.

"So ungrateful, aren't you," Verstael said with a wheezing laugh. "And yet, it is we who have saved you."

"I did not require—"

"Please," Verstael interrupted. "If the infantry had not found you on the side of that road, moaning and crying out your sister's name, you would have died right there. Be grateful for our mercy. How was it, by the way?"

"What?" Ravus asked.

"The Diamond Weapon. My ultimate creation. Oh... if only I could have been there to witness it razing Insomnia myself."

"It was certainly a sight," came a droll and sickly-sweet voice.

The two looked at the entrance to the lab to see Ardyn Izunia standing, hand gripping the fedora atop his head. A smile creeped onto his face as naturally as the rising of the sun at dawn. Though one would be remiss to describe it as "happy."

"I imagine it would be, Chancellor," Verstael said.

"You have done wonders with Magitek," Ardyn enthused.

"All of it thanks to you, Chancellor Izunia," Verstael said. "Without you, the Magitek movement would be years behind."

"You humble me, minister," Ardyn replied with a bow.

Ravus scoffed. Everything about Ardyn always seemed so... false.

"High Commander Fleuret," Ardyn said to Ravus.

Ravus sat up in his metallic chair. "High commander?"

"Indeed," Ardyn said. "With the operation in Insomnia deemed largely successful, your loyalty to our empire has been proven. It was Emperor Aldercapt's insistence that you be made high commander. What an honor!"

"I... did not ask for this," Ravus muttered.

"Nor did you have to!" Ardyn replied. "Your commitment to our cause was clear enough evidence that you are... worthy of the role."

Something about the way he said that made Ravus believe none of it to be true. For what reason could they be making him high commander? Was this an attempt at some sort of humiliation?

"Well, then," Verstael said. "Perhaps now you can find your missing sister, eh?"

Ravus shot the Imperial Research Minister a venomous glare.

"Indeed," Ardyn said. "We can't have her roaming about now, can we? Ring in hand?" Ardyn looked at the clawed fingers of the Magitek arm. "Though I suppose you had the ring in hand once too, didn't you? Couldn't help yourself but to try it on, yes?"

Ardyn burst into laughter.

"I..." Ravus began.

"Worry not, Ravus," Ardyn cut in. "We can't blame you for trying. I'm sure any of us would have."

"Ah," Verstael began. "The things I could do with that ring. We might finally be able to open up that accursed Crystal and take a peek inside. If there rumors of what is contained within are true..."

"Let us not speculate," Ardyn said. "I came here because the emperor wishes us to meet with him to discuss our plans."

"Of course," Verstael replied. "The boy should be good to go now. We can come with."

"Wonderful," Ardyn replied with a deep, deep smile.

And so, the three gathered before the emperor at the height of the towering Zegnautus Keep in Gralea, the capital of the Empire. Standing beside Ravus, Ardyn, and Verstael was a young commander armored in black and gold Ravus recognized as Loqi, and another older commander next to him he recognized as Caligo. Behind the group of commanders was a woman armored in black Ravus had yet to speak with. All he knew was her name: Aranea Highwind. She looked sick of it all, all the time.

"So, the prince eludes death?" the emperor asked, sitting in his seat, leaning back, fingers drumming the arms of the chair. "And what of the elusive ring?"

"Lunafreya has absconded with it," Ravus replied.

Find and kill her," the emperor commanded. "The ring is the final piece."

The command boiled something within Ravus, but he did not let it affect his emotionless expression.

Verstael cleared his throat and cut it. "We may do well to take her alive. The Six wield power beyond our imagination. We have already learned much from Ifrit and if we could capture the others... Well, the prophesy would change in our favor, would it not? Imagine the power we could draw from them. The Oracle holds the key for the King. She could unlock many secrets, nay high commander?" Verstael shot a sneering grin at Ravus. "The imperial army is now at _your_ disposal."

"A moot point, while the fugitives are still at large," Ravus replied. He turned to the emperor. "My men and I will continue our search for the prince and the Oracle."

The emperor, however, seemed elsewhere. In a dreamy voice, he said, "So glorious... _My _Crystal..."

The commanders exchanged nervous glances at the odd behavior, and Ardyn smiled at the back of the room.

* * *

The clouds were clear and the stars and the very distant swirls of galaxies was visible as Noctis traversed the flat and rough terrain of the Leide Region. His feet had become quite sore and he realized his boots were immensely uncomfortable as they marched on and on toward the outpost that seemed so close when he looked at the map. His phone was silenced, as it had been after the thirtieth call. He sent one text message hours ago of his intention, and had since ignored the pleas of his friends.

He wished he had the foresight to have brought some water along with him.

Noctis sighed, looking back at where he came from. The garage was so distant, he couldn't see it, yet when he looked ahead, he saw a glow of lights. The outpost? Perhaps.

This energized the prince, and he stretched his stride out as he continued his dreadful march.

After a moment, Noctis heard a strange rumble.

A metallic whine.

The earth at his feet started to shake and Noctis nearly fell back.

An earthquake?

As though to answer, he saw a strange glow in the corner of his eye. The prince turned and saw red and purple energy erupting from the ground. A black, oily mass spread into a wide circle and he heard a deep groan.

Something began to poke out of the blackness. It came out, long and rectangular. Another similar shape emerged beside it. And yet another. Noctis gasped when he realized they were fingers attached to a massive palm.

A large hand reached out and came down, pressing against the ground. The black mass expanded, and a gigantic creature rose from the blackness, groaning and moaning as metal being stretched and strained. As it rose fully out of the ground, its second arm emerged, pulling with it an absolutely massive blade that dwarfed Noctis's entire body.

It stood fully on two beefy legs and let out a roar as the black mass at its feet disappeared, replaced by the rough sand.

The beast, an unsightly giant of iron, looked at the prince and swung its massive sword above its head before swinging it down, crashing it against the ground. Pieces of hardened sandy earth rose up from the sheer impact of the blade.

"What in the name of Eos?" Noctis shouted.

Noctis lifted his hand, summoning the _Engine Blade_.

As he readied to fight, he wondered as to _how_ he could possibly defeat a monster like this.

The Iron Giant let out another metallic whine as it reeled back its arm, readying to smash Noctis apart in a single blow. Noctis hurled his sword between the legs of the beast and vanished, in time for the blade to crater the ground where he had stood but a moment ago. With a roll, Noctis ended his warp with his blade in hand, aiming his weapon at the back of the great monstrosity.

He tossed the weapon at the monster and appeared behind its neck in a flash. Noctis swung the blade and then reeled as the weapon simply bounced off, sending painful vibrations through his arm. Before he could fall, the giant immediately spun, swinging its blade. Noctis reacted instinctively, raising his weapon in time to block the spinning slice, which sent him crashing to the ground.

He rolled for several feet, grunting and moaning.

He looked back at the beast, the giant letting out another metallic roar as it flailed its rusted weapon wildly. Noctis took a moment to observe the thing, a homunculus of twisted living steel with a horned helm. It appeared rusted and ancient, like it crawled from the depths of a thousand-year-old darkness. As he saw the black and red energy pulsating around it, he was reminded of the Behemoth in Insomnia, and Noctis realized he was facing a daemon.

For much of his life, he was told he was the chosen king of light. He was told he was to one day vanquish the darkness, and that included a beast such as this. And yet, this thing was so wildly beyond him it was almost hilarious. What possible chance could he hope to have against the remaining thrall of the darkness?

Noctis let out a solitary and hollow laugh as he struggled to return to his feet. He called the _Engine Blade_ again, gripping it with both hands. As the giant came to meet his challenge, Noctis realized he needed to formulate a plan. He tossed the blade away from the beast, putting a good twenty feet between himself and the beast.

The giant stopped for a moment, letting out a low metallic groan.

"If I really _am_ the chosen king," Noctis moaned, "then you're in for some pain, big guy."

The giant then stretched out its massive empty hand and Noctis tilted its head. Some kind of challenge?

A red glow appeared in the center of its palm, expanding and shrinking and expanding again and again until it became a massive pulsing orb of red and black electrical energy. Around it, the sand of the desert gradually began to raise, pulled to the pulsing energy. And then it reached Noctis, and the prince gritted his teeth as he started to feel himself sliding across the ground.

_What the hell is this? _he screamed in his mind.

The gravity altering magical energy drew him closer and closer, and Noctis felt himself lifting off his feet. He let out a scream of pain as the longer he resisted, the more he felt as though he was going to be torn in two.

Noctis's scream turned to a roar as he reached deep inside, calling on the blades of his ancestors again. The Royal Arms could save him now. He would use its power to vanquish his enemy as he had so many in Insomnia. The last gift of his father. The power of a King of Lucis.

But it didn't come. No matter how much he begged and screamed, the power didn't come. It refused him. He was not worthy. Cid was right after all. Noctis couldn't beat one daemon on his own, he stood not a chance against the empire.

He drew closer and closer to the orb.

With great effort, Noctis spun himself in the air. The act had drawn his effort away from keeping himself in place, and so he flew toward the orb much more quickly. He reeled back his arm and threw his sword, warping as far as it could go.

It wasn't far enough to escape the pull. So, he threw it again. And again. And again.

Finally, he rolled on the ground, having managed to warp just outside of the range of the orb. He stopped rolling on his back, staring up at the sky. He was drained, feeling every part of his mana reserve emptied by the multiple warps. The world was spinning, and so the heavens spiraled due to his dazed trance. As he looked up there, he wondered if his father was looking down at him now, shaking his head in utter disappointment at the failure his son turned out to be. The crackling and groaning energy of the orb came to an end. He heard heavy thudding as the beast slowly made its way to him.

Alone in the desert, tired and thirsty, after having lost his father and his home. After having abandoned his friends to pursue in his folly... Is this how it was to end? At the hands of a beast from Hell?

He looked over at the giant, who reeled back its arm again, ready to deliver the deathblow.

Then it stopped, groaning as it looked past the prince. Noctis turned his head and winced as he saw a bright light.

The end? Was this the light one saw before they died?

It was a bright, white circle and it expanded as it got closer. But then it separated; one light became two.

A faint sound followed after. One Noctis recognized. The roar of an engine.

The Iron Giant whined again and Noctis looked back over. It had started to drop its blade on the prince. Noctis, with great effort and a laborious wheeze, managed to roll just out of the way of the weapon, his body sent rolling further after it struck ground, pushed by the impact of the weapon.

Noctis looked over at the white, relishing in the familiar sight of the now clearly visible _Regalia_.

His three friends rushed out of the vehicle, weapons in hand. Noctis stumbled over to them, but fell before he could get close, hand outstretched desperately toward them.

Gladiolus let out a fierce battle cry as he charged past Noctis and came to a stop, raising a shield to protect his charge. Ignis and Prompto stood beside the prince, his retainer leaning down and placing a hand on him.

"Noctis!" Ignis cried. "Can you stand?"

Noctis grabbed his hand and struggled to return to his feet. Prompto released his gun and leaned down to help Ignis. They returned the prince to his feet, supporting him on their shoulders. Ignis reached into a pack at his hip and pulled out an energy drink.

"Touch it," he said.

Noctis moaned and brushed his fingers against it, pulling at a dwindled mana source to energize the drink. When it pulsed faintly, Ignis pulled the cork and poured it on the prince. He hadn't enough magical energy to completely power the drink, but there was enough there to revitalize him the slightest.

"Prompto," Ignis said. "We are going to take him to the car."

"Okay," Prompto replied with a nod.

The two slowly led Noctis to the _Regalia_.

Gladiolus let out a roar as he blocked a tall vertical slice from the Iron Giant with his shield. He shoved the blade aside, where it crashed against the ground. He took a moment to briefly look back to see if the others were secure in the car and then rushed away from the beast to join them.

Gladiolus jumped into the back seat and the car bounced underneath him.

"Let's get the hell out of here!" he shouted.

Ignis floored the pedal and the wheels grinded against the ground before the vehicle began to take off. A crackling, groaning pulse was heard. The _Regalia's _momentum came to a sudden stop.

"What the hell?" Prompto cried out.

They looked back to see the giant's hand outstretched, the pulsing gravity orb in its palm.

"Ignis! Get us out of here!" Gladiolus roared.

"My foot is as far down as it can go!" Ignis shouted back. "We hadn't time to build up enough momentum to escape this gravity pull!"

Prompto yelped. "We're going backwards!"

"Shoot the damn thing!" Gladiolus barked.

Prompto stood in the passenger's seat and pulled his gun from the air. He took aim and fired, but if the bullet connected, the beast gave no hint. He fired again and again to no avail.

"We might be screwed," Prompto moaned.

"If it pulls the car in," Gladiolus grunted, "there's no way we're gonna recover it this time! It was already a damn miracle the belt came so quickly!"

Ignis swung the steering wheel left and right, and the _Regalia _followed suit. It made no progress, still being drawn ever closer to the giant. They had mere minutes before it would be too late. Before that thing would cleave their car apart.

Then it came to an end. The pulsating stopped, followed shortly after by a loud crash. The _Regalia _shot forward a few feet until Ignis pressed the brake, bringing it to a screeching halt.

They looked back, in time to see the giant collapse.

The three exchanged confused glances before looking back at the creature. Something stood astride its back as the beast slowly began to dissipate into miasma. It leaped down, resting a long blade on its shoulder.

"No way..." Gladiolus muttered.

"Who is it?" Prompto asked.

"It's... Cor."

The three exited the car, leaving the knocked-out prince to recover in the back seat. They approached the marshal of the Crownsguard in utter awe at his ability.

"It does my eyes well to see you standing here," Cor said.

"How in the hell did you manage to kill that thing?" Gladiolus asked, starstruck.

"Enough time spent fighting the horrors of the night, and you'll start to see their weaknesses," Cor replied. "This blade is enhanced, infused by light many years ago by the king himself. It was made to kill daemons. Tell me, where is Noctis."

"Recovering," Ignis replied. "In the backseat of the _Regalia_. We managed to make it here in time to save him from the giant, but you came here in time to save the rest of us. We are in your debt, marshal."

"Nonsense," Cor replied, raising a hand. "I did nothing more or less than the duty I am required to perform."

"Either way," Prompto interjected. "It was undeniably hella awesome."

"Ain't that the truth," Gladiolus enthused.

Cor didn't entertain the praise. "There's a bed at the outpost nearby. Noctis can recover there."

* * *

The golden light of encroaching dusk pierced the distant horizon as the sun set. Noctis was in a forest of thin and dying trees. He was eight years old again and he looked down at his shrunken body, wondering how it was he had reversed age so dramatically.

_Hello, Noctis,_ came a spectral voice. It was the same one he had heard the night of the party in Insomnia. Before it all came crashing down.

"Who are you?" Noctis asked, his voice light and unbroken by puberty.

_In time, you'll see,_ the voice replied. It was faint, but female.

"Where am I?" he asked.

_Asleep in the Fantasy,_ she replied. _It is where I am too, awaiting the day I might wake again. Perhaps on that day, you may find me here, waiting for a prince to free me from sleep._

What does that mean?" Noctis asked.

The voice didn't reply.

* * *

When Noctis awoke, he gave a light moan, feeling the bones of his spine popping back into place as he slowly sat up. He was in a bed, but an unfamiliar one. All around him were large electrical generators, and the best he could tell, he was in a hut of some sort. He yawned and raised his arms, feeling their stiffness gradually relent. He felt like he had woken from some sort of coma, after having slept for the first time since Insomnia fell.

He looked around again, hoping for the familiar sight of his friends. Last he remembered, he had been dragged off by Ignis and Prompto before all went black. They weren't here.

He pulled the covers off of him and stepped out of the bed. On his feet, he stretched again. He felt like he hadn't moved in days. The entrance to the hut was covered by a thin tarp, and Noctis pushed it aside as he stepped outside.

The sun was high and all was bright on a cloudless Leide day. All around, he saw men and women garbed in brown gear moving busily about. One noticed him and approached.

"Awake at last, eh?" he asked.

"Huh?" was all Noctis could muster. His brain hadn't managed to awaken enough to process speech.

"Glad you're doing well, kid," the man replied. "Name's Dave. You're at the Hunter Outpost."

Noctis mustered an "Oh." Then it struck him. "Wait, the outpost? Is Cor...?"

"He's with your friends in that building over there." Dave pointed at a nearby flat-roofed building larger than all the others."

"My friends..."

Noctis rushed over to the building, at least as much as he could since his body was still in recover from sleep mode. He stumbled inside of the open-doored building and saw his three friends along with Cor and a woman Noctis recognized as Monica standing around a stone table.

When they noticed him, his friends eyes lit up.

Prompto rushed over, giving Noctis a hug.

"Ow!" Noctis moaned. Prompto quickly released his hold, giving a sheepish grin.

"Careful, Prompto," Ignis said. "He's still stiff."

"Glad to see you're awake, sleeping beauty," Gladiolus said.

"How long was I out?" Noctis asked.

"Three days," Gladiolus replied.

"Three... days..." It took Noctis's sleepy mind a moment to process this. Then he snapped more awake than he had been. "Three days! Are you joking? We have to—"

"In time," Cor said. "We'll get to that business soon. We have other concerns as well."

"Such as?" Noctis asked.

Monica walked over to Cor, pointing at a few pieces strewn across what appeared to be a map of Lucis.

"The empire has taken control of several old Lucian outposts from the old war," she said. "We're devising strategies as to how we are to deal with them. Several of those outposts are near sites of Royal Arms, as well as near the long-rumored locations of the Astrals."

"The... Astrals?" Noctis asked. "Wait, the Astral Astrals? Like the big old gods? They're around here somewhere?"

"We better hope so," Cor said. "I don't know if you're aware, but you are going to meet them eventually."

"Whaaat?" Noctis asked.

"Perhaps we shouldn't worry him with those details yet," Ignis replied. "For now, maybe we should pursue the outpost near here and secure that Royal Arm."

"Indeed," Cor replied. "Why don't you guys get yourself ready and meet me over there?"

"Of course, marshal," Ignis replied with a bow.

Noctis and his friends left the hut.

Outside, the three marched ahead of the prince, but Noctis stopped.

"Listen," he began. The three turned to look at him. "I... was stupid. I shouldn't have rushed ahead like that. And... I definitely shouldn't have treated you guys like that."

"It was pretty stupid," Gladiolus agreed. "We... understand though. Just don't do it again, yeah?"

Prompto walked over to his friend and gave him another hug, albeit a much lighter one. "We're here for you buddy. No need to be so emo, yeah?"

Noctis squeezed back.

"Yeah," he replied.

Prompto released his friend and patted his shoulders.

"We'll drive to the tomb," Ignis said. "Give you some more time to rest up."

On the outskirts of the outpost, the _Regalia _was parked and waiting. As Ignis made to enter the driver's seat, Noctis stopped him.

"I'll drive," he said. "You've done enough driving that I owe you the favor."

"Are you sure?" Ignis replied. "I am very okay with—"

"Trust me, I'll be fine."

Ignis produced the keys and handed it to Noctis. The prince smiled and unlocked the car with the fob.

He entered and took a seat on the comfortable black leather. He ran his hands along the steering wheel.

Then he was taken back. Back to his childhood, sitting on the lap of his father behind the wheel of the _Regalia_. This car was now the last gift he had given him. The last memory of the late King Regis, stabbed through the heart by the empire. And then...

Noctis felt himself growing short of breath. He began to panic, gulping for air that refused to enter his lungs. With a moan, he dove out of the car, rolling on the ground, tears suddenly welling in his eyes.

The cries of his friends were faint behind crushing white noise growing ever louder in his ears.

"Noct!" Ignis cried, supporting the prince.

"I..." Noctis began, through labored breathing. "I... can't... I can't... do... this..."

Ignis took the keys, and gripped Noctis by his shoulders.

"You don't have to," he whispered.

Noctis's breathing steadied, tears rolling hot down his cheek.

"I'm sorry," he moaned.

"It's okay," Ignis replied. "I'll drive until you're ready. It's okay. You'll be okay."

Noctis looked over at Gladiolus and Prompto. The shield held a hard and concerned stare, but Prompto's eyes were welled up with tears as well.

The prince felt shame. He felt weak. He felt defeated.

"I'll..." he began, looking down at his feet. "I'll get stronger. Then they'll pay."

Ignis pulled Noctis to his feet and gave him another pat on the shoulder.

"You ARE strong, Noctis," he said. "This isn't weakness."

Noctis nodded, and the four entered the car, with the prince sitting in the back beside Gladiolus as Ignis took the wheel and pulled the car away.


	9. Chapter Eight: The Calling of the Chosen

Hello! Sorry for the long absence but this sickness spreading around and how its affected school and my life has been crazy. Hopefully it won't be as long before my next update! Currently, I'm working on several plans for where the story will head next and I'm thinking of how I want to expand certain things in the first part of the story. I started that process by adding more stuff to the scene where Noctis talks to Lunafreya in Chapter Two, so feel free to check that out! Other than that, I'm thinking of adding a prologue back into the story, this one being about the childhood accident Noctis received that brought him to Tenebrae. Please let me know if you think that will be interesting to read.

As ever, all feedback is welcome. This chapter is the shortest so far but it features some nice set up for some future ideas I want to implement. This is the start of me trying to implement the old kings and queens of Lucis to the story to give it some more flavor. I want this story to focus a lot more on the lore that didn't feel all that well explored in the game, so I've been doing some research to help me come up with ideas. Feel free to let me know if you want to see more of the Rulers of Yore. Thanks very much for reading this story and for being so patient!

* * *

Chapter Eight

The Calling of the Chosen King

Built in much the same way as the gothic architecture within Insomnia, the royal tomb stood out amongst the banality of the rest of Leide. The building was white, shaped like a dome. In front of its large door were two statues, crying black tears. As Noctis left the _Regalia _parked on the dirt road and approached the tomb, he felt a sensation within. A part of him that wanted immediately to connect with the ancestor he felt resting within. He also knew he was approaching something far beyond the mortal world. They were crossing from reality into the stuff of legend.

"Whoa," Prompto said when the tomb came into view.

The four marched into a small canyon, high walls of stone all around. The tomb itself was at the end of a winding path, encircled by said walls of stone.

As they approached, Noctis's stomach rumbled.

"Oh," Noctis said, embarrassed.

"You haven't eaten in days, I suppose," Ignis replied. He reached into his pocket, producing a small bar of energy protein. "This will have to do until we get to a proper restaurant."

Noctis happily took the bar and unwrapped it, quickly munching on the stuff as they walked up to the door.

"Just how deep are your pockets, Iggy?" Prompto asked.

"Never hurts to be prepared for everything," Ignis replied.

"That you are," Gladiolus said.

As they approached the door, Noctis noticed it was open slightly. Gladiolus pushed it aside the rest of the way and the four walked inside, to see Cor standing behind the tomb of the Ruler of Yore. None other than Somnus Lucis Caelum himself.

"Welcome, Your Highness," Cor said.

"You wanna tell me what I'm here for?" Noctis asked, looking around at the white curved walls.

"The power of kings, passed from the old to the new through the bonding of souls," Cor replied. "One such soul lies before you. To claim your forebears' power is your birthright and duty as king."

"My duty as king of what?" Noctis asked. "Lucis? Insomnia? The city is gone."

"Now is not the time to question your calling," Cor interjected. "A king is sworn to protect his people."

Noctis scoffed. The act made Prompto gasp in surprise.

"Yet he chose to protect only the city and myself," Noctis said. "Was that his calling? Forsake the masses and protect only me? Feed these people out here to the wolves?"

"Noctis..." Cor began. "The king entrusted the role of protector to you. I know that right now, you can't see all he had planned, but..."

"Then why didn't he warn me?" Noctis exploded. "Why didn't he prepare me for this? Why did he smile at me that morning and act like everything was alright?"

"Because he wanted to be your father, Noctis," Cor calmly replied. "He knew it would be your final true conversation with him in this world, and he wanted it to be the words of a father to his son. And... he has prepared you. You are more ready than you realize. Ready to accept this power, and the other of its like spread throughout Eos."

Noctis looked down at the tomb, observing its intricate white marble carvings in the shape of the late Founder King.

"I guess he left me no choice..."

Noctis held up a hand, outstretched toward the tomb. After a moment, it glowed. A spectral light raised from the tomb and took form. Noctis recognized it; it was a Royal Arm. It hovered in place for a moment, bobbing silently. And then, suddenly, it rushed at Noctis. Before the prince could react, it crashed into his body and disappeared completely.

There was a flash of light.

When Noctis opened his eyes, he was no longer inside the tomb.

Confused, the prince looked around. He was standing on stone. There were tall stone columns nearby, on the four corners of the square-shaped stone platform he was standing on, but there was no ceiling. He could see the blue skies high above, cloudless.

All around, he could see open sky, and the air was rough. Harder to breathe.

The wind blew cold and when he looked around, he saw why he didn't see any clouds above him as he watched with awe as white wisps passed by him at eye level. He was standing amidst the clouds, far, far above the land.

He took several steps forward to reach the end of the platform and looked down. Noctis realized then he was on top of a mountain as he saw a grassy plain hundreds of feet below. It felt almost like standing at the edge of the roof of the citadel, observing the ants so far, far below. Noctis shivered then, but not from the cold. He took a step back as he felt the openness of the edge of the platform inviting him to leap off the mountain.

From behind, he heard a clatter. The prince turned and saw an armored human standing several paces behind him with its back turned, looking off into the distance. The being seemed to pay him no mind.

His armor was shaded with grey steel and intricately designed, with several sharp horns protruding from shoulders and helm. He appeared almost dragon-like in design. There was something familiar about his design. He had seen it before. In fact, several times before, in paintings hanging through the citadel and chiseled statues that once stood proudly throughout the city of Insomnia. This was Somnus Lucis Caelum.

Noctis wordlessly approached the man, unsure if it was a statue or not. He stood next to him and looked up at the man, who stood a good three feet higher than him. With a tilt of his helm, the man regarded Noctis, and the prince nearly gasped as he realized this was no statue.

"Noctis Lucis Caelum," he said, his voice deep and muffled beneath the helm. He turned, facing the prince. "You have done well to find my gift. It would seem your journey has just begun."

"You... you're," Noctis began.

"Somnus," the man replied. "The Founder King, as they refer to me in your time."

"Where am I?" Noctis asked. He looked out at where Somnus had been staring and saw, several hundred feet below, what looked like a distant town.

"This," Somnus said, sweeping his arm over the wide open skies and land, "is the kingdom of Lucis."

"No way..." Noctis muttered. "_When_ am I?"

"Approximately two thousand years before your time," Somnus answered. "At least, the memory of a time two thousand years before your time."

"A... memory?" Noctis asked, scratching the back of his head. "Why am I here, then? I remember being in your tomb and seeing your sword, and then..."

"There is a darkness spreading across this land, Noctis," Somnus replied. "The Accursed One has awoken and he intends to ruin this world."

"The... Accursed One?" Noctis asked. "Who is that?"

"I... cannot say," Somnus replied. "All will become clear eventually, chosen one. For now, stay the course. Collect the Arms and use their power to vanquish the darkness."

"That's what everyone keeps telling me, but I have no idea what the darkness is!" Noctis exclaimed. "How am I supposed to fight something I don't understand?"

"Chosen King," Somnus said. "In order for you to fulfill your calling, you must do this. I know you don't understand yet, but you will. When the time is right, all will be revealed."

Somnus held out a hand and a blade flashed into the air in front of him. The same that brought Noctis to this place. The sword was ancient and very traditional, missing all of the purely cosmetic features Noctis flourished his own _Engine Blade_ with.

"Collect the Royal Arms," Noctis said. Somnus nodded. "Vanquish the darkness." Somnus nodded again. "You make it sound so simple."

Somnus let out a chuckle. "Take this: the _Blade of the Mystic._ I grant you my power and hope you find it useful in the struggle against the encroaching darkness."

"Are the other rulers gonna talk to me like this?" Noctis asked.

"I'm afraid not," Somnus replied. "I was chosen to communicate this task to you by the Astrals."

"Right," Noctis muttered. "You must feel so special."

"Hold out your hand, prince," Somnus said, ignoring the remark. "Accept the power and accept your role as savior."

Noctis held out a hand and the blade vanished from in front of Somnus, appearing in Noctis's grip. With the blade in hand, there came another flash of light and the prince was back in the tomb.

He looked around at the others, who watched him expectantly, and then back at his outstretched hand. It was empty, the sword having disappeared somewhere inside of him. He could feel its power, ready to be summoned like his _Engine Blade_.

"I... think I got it," Noctis said.

"Awesome!" Prompto exclaimed. "And I mean like really awesome. Like the dictionary definition of awesome. Like, to be in awe!"

"I get it," Noctis replied.

"That's not the only power your forebearers left you," Cor said. "There are several tombs, but many have been raided many years ago. We have managed to locate thirteen scattered across Eos that remain untouched. Much are on Lucis but a few are on the other continents. Your journey has just begun, Noctis."

"My journey," Noctis muttered, "to _vanquish_ the darkness."

"Darkness!" Prompto exclaimed yet again. "How epic! It's like the stuff of fantasy stories!"

"Yeah, epic," Noctis muttered. "Too bad these damn Astrals and ancestors like to keep everything so vague."

"Perhaps you'll learn the answers at a later time," Ignis said. "Maybe when you're ready to hear it?"

"Funny," Noctis replied. "That's exactly what _he_ said. You kinda remind me of him."

"He? Who are you talking about?" Ignis asked.

"Never mind," Noctis replied. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around all this stuff."

"I know it's a lot, Highness," Cor said. "I'm sure you're very hungry for answers and solutions. I trust you will find them eventually."

"Then maybe we should get a move on?" Noctis suggested. "Where's the next Royal Arm?"

"Nearby, actually," Cor replied. "Keycatrich Trench. Unfortunately, the empire is also posted nearby."

"Perfect," Noctis replied. "I just so happen to have a new weapon I'm dying to try out."

"Now that's what I like to hear!" Gladiolus exclaimed. "Let's go cave some Niff helmets in!"

"Oooh... Head bashing!" Prompto replied. "Sounds fun."

"There's something else, Highness," Cor said. Noctis turned to him. "About Lady Lunafreya. She is alive, moving across Lucis. No one has been able to track her down, but she has been sighted several times."

"She's... alive..." Noctis said, relieved.

"Indeed," Cor replied. "She intends to do as she was instructed in this struggle against the darkness. It is your time now, Noctis."

"Right," Noctis replied. "For Lunafreya... and for my father..."

"The key Cid gave you can be used to open the other tombs," Cor said. "At least the ones that haven't been destroyed. When you're done with the trench, come back to the outpost and talk to Monica. We'll have your next task, okay?"

Noctis nodded. "We'll be back, Marshal."

"Good, highness," Cor said with a bow. "Give them hell."

"Believe it," Gladiolus replied.

The four left and Cor stood silently in the tomb, a hand placed on the coffin of the Founder King. He smiled as he watched Noctis leave.

"I've done as you've asked, my king," he whispered. "I will do what I can to ensure your legacy will not be undone."


	10. Chapter Nine: Omen

Hello! I know its been some time, but here is a short-ish chapter that should serve as an interesting preview of sorts of where the future of this project is planning on heading. It'll no doubt be a little confusing, but hopefully the ultimate payoff later on will make this all more interesting. I hope to update more quickly in the future, but I was stuck taking care of a lot of real world responsibilities as well as the greater dedication I have to the original stories I'm also writing.

Thanks for reading!

* * *

Chapter Nine

Omen

Noctis was alone as he drove the _Regalia _along the Lucian highway. He gripped the wheel tightly with both hands, absently staring down the road. The radio was on, a news broadcast playing.

"—which is why we can't afford to hold our forces at bay anymore," the reporter said, voice crackling with static as it came through the speakers. "The longer we stand by and do nothing, the stronger he will become. It has been days since last we saw sight of the prince. All we know is he is traveling alone in a black Audi called the _Regalia_, a custom-made car commissioned by the late tyrant King Regis. If you are listening to this, Noctis, we will find you. We do not fear your power. We have captured your conspirators and it won't be long before we weed out the rest of the Lucis Loyalists. Were you to possess any honor, you would come straight to us. You know where to find us."

Noctis scoffed and turned off the radio.

The skies were darkened, the horizons brimming with Niflheim airships buzzing around. He pressed the pedal as far as it could go and the _Regalia _roared, picking up speed. The roof was down and Noctis looked all around as a few airships began to close in. He growled, gripping the steering wheel even tighter. The road winded and Noctis kept the _Regalia_ driving smooth, even as he heard the bullets from the airships impacting against the road behind him. A missile whistled in his direction, which he noticed in the rearview mirror. Noctis swerved the car out of the way and it flew past, exploding ahead of him in a plume of red and black.

As he passed through, he felt the heat of the smoke. As deadly as the airships were, they could not keep up with the speed of his car and he outpaced their guns and missiles. The road entered a tunnel cutting through a tall mountain, and Noctis flashed on the headlights.

As he drove, he began to hear a ringing sound, the familiar ringing of his cell phone. It was mounted to the dash and as he looked at the screen, he saw the name PROMPTO appear. Noctis grunted and answered the call.

"Noctis?" came Prompto's distorted voice.

"What do you want?" Noctis asked.

"To settle things," he replied. "You can't keep running forever, Noctis. The empire can't be stopped. Come back to Gralea and they will spare you."

"The only reason I'd go back there, Prompto," Noctis said, "would be to finish you off once and for all, traitor."

"Oh?" Prompto's distorted voice replied. "_I'm_ the traitor?" Noctis heard a hollow laugh. "You left us all behind, Noctis, just for the promise of power. You threw us aside like we were nothing, and the empire welcomed us in with open arms and the promise of a unified world."

"They sold you a lie and you paid for it," Noctis replied. "I'm going to burn the empire down, and that includes you, Prompto."

"So be it," Prompto said. The call cut off.

Noctis released a breath when the call ended. The only sound that filled the air was the engine of the car reverberating off the walls of the tunnel. Ahead, a light broke through and the car neared the end of the tunnel. Noctis accelerated and the car roared through to the bright outside.

As he broke through the tunnel, Noctis saw his once shining city looming ahead past the flattened terrain of Leide. Through it all, the citadel still loomed on the horizon above the heap of the rest of the city. As he saw the distant ruins of his kingdom, Noctis fought to suppress the surge of emotion threatening to boil over from within. His thoughts returned to his father and, as it had of late, to Lunafreya. The one he told he would protect always. The one he failed to save.

As he thought of her, his head began to hurt. Noctis winced, raising a hand to grip his forehead. The road ahead blacked out and he let out a moan of pain. He saw images flashing in his mind. Images of her, on the ground, fighting for her life against a shadow with eyes of flame. She let out a scream.

"Noctis!"

The prince was startled back to reality as he felt his stomach suddenly churn. The world came back into view and he was dazed, no longer seeing the city ahead, but instead a spinning scenery of road and sky and dirt.

The _Regalia _tumbled through the air before crashing into a heap off the side of the road. A tire flew off, bouncing down the road. Noctis himself tumbled in the air, having been thrown from the car. With a yelp, he called his sword and tossed it, warping away. His warp ended with him rolling on the hardened dirt ground and he grunted as he rolled for several feet before coming to a stop on his stomach.

He groaned as he returned to his feet. Several yards ahead, he lamented to see the smoking heap of the _Regalia. _

"Shit," Noctis muttered, gripping his head as he felt it sting yet again.

No Prompto, no Gladiolus, no Ignis. And now, no _Regalia_.

He was truly alone, against the thrall of the empire.

Daemons fell. Soldiers were torn to pieces. Noctis Lucis Caelum staggered into the city of Insomnia; his boots were nearly worn to their soles. For hours had he walked, slaying all who stood in his way. Now, blanketed by night, he witnessed the ruin of his home for the first time since that moment at the overpass, where he had sworn to take his revenge on the empire.

He produced a potion. His last one. The blue energy washed over him, revitalizing his strength. The rattling of armor previewed the arrival of a storm of imperial soldiers. As Noctis moved, they mountain ahead of him and atop the rooftops of the buildings surrounding the street. Noctis summoned the Royal Arms, having painstakingly gathered the thirteen known arms together. As he walked, he did not even look at the soldiers as his swords flew free of his body, slashing them apart.

He was a one-man army.

Before long, he was at the base of the citadel. The building remained mostly standing and he prepared to climb the stairs before he heard a voice.

"Stop," it said.

Noctis turned around and saw a figure approaching him several meters away. It was covered in darkness, so Noctis could not make out any features, save a humanoid appearance. Yet, even as it came closer, the features did not come to light. It was a walking shadow, and it stared at him with eyes ablaze. He recognized the silhouette. The messy outline of hair. It was _himself._ A Shadow Noctis.

"We both know what this is," the Shadow Noctis said.

"And what's that?" Noctis replied.

"An omen," the shadow replied. "There will come a choice in your future. A chance at striking against your true enemy."

"That's what I'm here to do," Noctis growled.

"No. Only what you think is your true enemy. Your real foe is beyond all this. Follow that voice, Noctis, or else you will end up like me."

"And what exactly are you?" Noctis asked.

"A pale reflection, blanketed in darkness," Shadow Noctis replied. "A failure. An echo from the future come to warn you. You think this is the first time you've gone through this? No, Noctis. The cycle still exists and you must break it and free us, and Eos, at last. Only then will the reign of terror end and the_ Fabula Nova Crystallis_ be born. Find your true enemy."

"And how do I do that?" Noctis asked, but as soon as he did, the world darkened, as though someone was slowly turning off the lights. Sections of the world disappeared into darkness until Noctis was standing alone in pure dark.

He heard a voice then, deeper than any he had ever heard before.

"I have seen many deaths, but now I am only looking forward to one. And then I can rest."

* * *

Noctis reeled back, returning to the darkness of the royal tomb. The phantasmal Royal Arm, the _Axe of the Conqueror_, disappeared somewhere inside. Noctis removed the hand he had rested on the tomb of its former owner, Fortis Lucis Caelum.

Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto stared inquisitively at him.

"Well?" Prompto asked. "How do you feel?"

"I feel... good," Noctis said.

In his mind, the images still flashed in his head. The war-torn landscape. The isolation. The death. The words of his shadow. What did it all mean?

"Well then, we can get out of here, right?" Prompto eagerly asked. "I don't know about you, but I've had enough of creepy trenches for one lifetime."

"Yeah," Noctis said. "Let's go find Cor and see about those Niffs."

_Fabula Nova Crystallis_, Noctis thought. _Where have I heard that before? Whatever. I'll figure that out later. Now is the time to gather my strength. I can't stop the empire without it. No need to worry about things I can't understand yet._

It was as Somnus had said in the vision. When the time was right, all would be revealed.

As he left the tomb with his friends, he felt that familiar light within his mind. The voice he could not understand that had tried to communicate with him since the night of the attack on Insomnia. He shook his head, and the four left the mines.


End file.
